Fiery Mischief (An Avengers Fanfic)
by Frosty dreams
Summary: "Please.." I choke out, hating myself for the whimper in my voice. "You did this to yourself, little bird." Loki smirks, violet eyes glowing eerily as he makes the first cut into the skin just above my belly button. "If only you had done what I asked in the first place, this never would have happened."
1. Prologue

**AN: Okay, so I realize I haven't been on here in like . . . 4 years? But, I have grown so msuch as a writer and will be dropping my other stories on here. They were awful lol. But this fanfic I've been working on for some time and have it on Wattpad as well.**

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 ** _Third Person POV_**

 **March 27th, 1997**

In the middle of the night, a woman looking to be in her late thirties walks down the slick sidewalk of Brooklyn. A black cloak is pulled over her shoulders, the hood hiding her face from any passersby. The bottoms of her boots make light tapping sounds against the concrete as the rain pours down around her. In her arms is a newborn babygirl wrapped in thick, warm brown blankets. The rain mixes in with the woman's tears as she climbs the steps to a random house, glancing up at the wooden door before looking back down at the sleeping child in her arms.

"My sweet Karissa, I promise with all my heart that we will meet again one day." The woman coos, warm brown eyes filled with sorrow as she reaches a hand up to knock on the door. She places her child in the baby basket that was held in her other hand, before placing it just a little ways from the door. She closes her eyes, swallowing thickly, before scurrying down the steps before the door can open.

And then, after making sure no cars are coming, she steps into the middle of the street. She tilts her head back, and with a choked voice, murmurs, "Heimdall, please open the Bifrost."

The wind picks up around her, and in a multicolored flash, the woman is being taken back to her home planet, leaving her beloved daughter behind.

 ** _Asgard, two days previous_**

"No, I forbid your child to stay here. She will be a danger to us all." Odin proclaims, voice stern as an icy blue eye lands on the woman before him. In her arms is her newborn child, softly crying from the sudden loudness. The woman swallows, trying to keep herself from shaking as she attempts to comfort her.

"Father, perhaps if you'd-" The youngest son of Odin attempts to intervene, but to no avail.

"Silence, Loki!" Odin rages, sitting up in his throne. "That child's sister was sent to Völva, the same must be for the other. I will not have the child of a Fire Giant in my kingdom."

"Your Majesty, please, please do not take my only other daughter away from me." The woman pleads, eyes watering with tears. The All-Father does not sway. However, his expression softens by only a sliver. He briefly glances at Loki. Odin is being hypocritical, but this is the only way to protect the frail minds of the citizens. If Frigga were here right now, she would attempt to persuade him. Which is exactly the reason he ordered her to stay in their quarters.

"No. That is my final answer. You will have two days to prepare for your journey to Midgard. Guardians have been picked to watch over the child already. Until then, make the most of your moments you have with your child." Odin looks away, giving a wave of his hand. "Loki, Freida, you are both dissmissed."

Freida doesn't attempt to argue anymore. With a deep breath, she walks out of the golden throne room, with Loki following swiftly behind her. Once away from prying eyes, the woman finally lets the tears roll down. Loki, unsure of what to do, speaks softly.

"If it brings any comfort to you, I will attempt to watch over the child once she reaches adolescence." He states, not sure why he is saying these words. Even if they both know the truth. That both of their children are not the daughters of a Fire Giant. But this secret must never be revealed.

Freida gives a soft smile. "I thank you for this, Loki. I fear that my duties will not allow me to visit Midgard."

The god of Mischief offers the tiniest of smiles, emerald eyes gazing at the baby girl who is now laying asleep in Freida's arms. "It is the very least I can do. I cannot allow the Goddess of Hope's daughter to be harmed, now can I?"

The woman laughs at this, a soft sparkle in her warm brown eyes. However, the laughter discontinues when a thought comes to her. The goddess's expression turns serious as she takes a step forward, chocolate hair falling just below her shoulders. "Loki, you must make sure that she does not spot you. It will certainly make her life more difficult if she realizes her true heritage. I beg of you, keep hidden when you are in Midgard."

The prince nods, his pale lips slipping into a firm line. "I swear to it. I will not allow her to spot me."

Freida relaxes, a sad, soft sigh escaping her. "Good. . . . I suppose I shall prepare for the trip to Midgard, then."

Loki looks at her with sympathy in his eyes. "That would be smart. I fear my father will not stand for having Karissa around for any longer than necessary." He pauses, tilting his head. "What of the twin, Maura?"

"Maura.." Freida murmurs. "I fear she has no chance of surviving, unless of course the citizens of the planet deem her strong and worthy enough to live there. If that is the case, then she will not have a happy childhood."

But then again, neither will Karissa. It seems neither of the children's lives will be as planned. One will live as a hero, and the other is destined to be a villain.


	2. Chapter 1 - Loki, God of Mischief

Karissa winces at the sound of her bedroom door banging open, brown eyes flickering up to see her mother standing in the door way. There is a cold snarl on her lips as she walks over and yanks the blankets off of the girl's body.

"Get up, you brat. It's time for school. If I get any calls that you're late this year, it'll be even more trouble for you." Caroline Summers snaps, before turning and leaving the small bedroom, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

Karissa sits up and sighs, running a shaking hand through her long, brown hair. She hates it here. Her parents used to be nice to her, but that all stopped when her father turned into a heavy alcoholic about five years ago.

She places her bare feet on the cold, wooden floor and bends down to grab her blanket. The first day of school is always the worst. Karissa doesn't understand why she even has to go. It's not like they were going to actually teach anything today.

Well, except for the annoying math teacher, Mr. Jonas.

Her mood sours even more at that thought. Karissa frowns and walks over to her closet, pulling out a pair of black skinny jeans and a Green-Day band t-shirt. After changing into those, she grabs miss-matching ankle socks and her favorite pair of black high-top converse and pulls them on. Then, she pulls her hair up into a ponytail.

With a brief nod to herself in the mirror, she grabs her book bag and leaves her room, practically running down the stairs after checking the time. Seven O'clock, the bus will be here in two minutes. She's just reaching for the door when a deep, gritty voice causes her to jump a few inches.

"You gonna say good bye?" Nate Summers growls, yanking her backwards. "I suggest you do it 'fore the bus comes. I got a day off work, so if you do miss the bus, you're spendin' it with me."

Karissa shivers, attempting to remove herself from her father's cold, thin fingers. "Let go of me." She snarls, earning herself a harsh slap across the cheek.

She would have stumbled backwards, had it not been for Nate's vice-like grip on her shoulder. "What was that, you brat?" He pulls her close, cold blue eyes glaring into her fear filled ones.

Karissa gulps, goosebumps on her arms. She grits her teeth in a desperate attempt to keep her tears from falling. "I mean, bye dad...I..hope you have a good day."

"That's right. Now, give me a kiss." With a shaky breath, she quickly kisses his cheek, before wrenching herself out of his grip and bursting through the door. She arrives just as the bus does, keeping her head low when she feels her eyes watering.

Karissa climbs inside of the bus, heading towards her seat in the back. Since there aren't very many kids on yet, she doesn't have to worry about being bothered just yet.

However, apparently that won't be the case this morning. She's just scooting against the window when she feels a weight on her seat. Glancing over, her eyes widen when she sees who it is. Karissa immediately sits up, eyebrows furrowing. "Y-You're-"

The man chuckles, interrupting her speech. He looks over at her, emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. Karissa looks him over fully. He is wearing an assortment of dark green, gold and silver clothing. Looking elegant despite who he is. But what Karissa doesn't understand is how he got here.

Before she can speak again, he holds up a finger. "I do not have much time, you see. I wish to speak with you, Karissa Summers." The god states casually, turning towards her.

"How do you know my name?" She questions, scooting as far away from him as possible.

"Ah, but you already know that, don't you? Don't play coy with me." Loki smirks. "This is not the first time we have met, is it?"

Suddenly, Karissa remembers now. When she was thirteen, sitting alone in her room, this man had appeared to her. And several times after, whenever she was in trouble, he would help her. Though he was younger, then. His black hair wasn't as wild and untamed as it is now. He also wasn't a wanted criminal.

"You destroyed over half of New York," Karissa states, clenching her fists. "You've changed."

"Ah, but I am not the only one who has changed, am I?" He gives her a pointed look. "No matter, that isn't what I wish to discuss." Loki glances out the window, briefly watching the dull scenery of Brooklyn pass by. "You are being watched, Karissa."

"By you? Yeah, I think we've established that already."

Loki shakes his head, wearing an amused expression. "Not only by me, but also by a corporation known as S.H.I.E.L.D."

Karissa raises an eyebrow. "Shield? What the hell is that?"

"It would take much too long for me to explain." Loki waves his hand. "You'll understand soon enough. The Director himself will be making an appearance to you after school is over."

"Why? Am I in trouble?" She questions, although she isn't really taking any of this seriously.

Loki ignores this question entirely, instead he narrows his eyes at the ugly blue and purple bruise on the girl's cheek. "Where did you get that now, hm?" He places gentle fingers against the injury, causing her to wince slightly.

Oh yeah. She had forgotten all about that.

"No where," She murmurs, not even remotely convincing the god. He leaves it alone, however. Only because there is a student approaching them.

"I must take my leave. We will meet again soon, Karissa Summers." He vanishes in a golden light that only she can see. The girl attempts to keep a passive expression, noticing the student that has decided to sit next to her. She sighs lightly and leans back against the bus seat.

"Hey Karissa." The boy greets, causing her to glance at him. She feels stupid for not realizing who it was before. But that's not entirely her fault. After all, she had just got done talking to a god from Asgard.

"Hey, Peter." She offers a small smile, unsure of what else to say.

"Ready for the first day of school?" He grins at her, looking at her with those big brown doe eyes that she loves so much. Karissa shrugs, smirking a bit.

"Are you?"

He laughs slightly, shaking his head. "I guess not. But it is our senior year, maybe we should have a better attitude about it."

"Well, maybe if this year goes by fast, I will." Although Karissa highly doubts it. This year will most likely go by slowly, just like every other year for her does.

The bus finally pulls into the school's parking lot, causing Karissa to slump even more in her seat before she's forced to stand and walk off of the bus. Peter gives her a small wave, before they each part ways to head to their lockers.

 **First Person POV**

Finally, the last school bell of the day rings,, signalling the end of class. I mare sure that I'm the first one to my locker, not wishing to be crowded. Really, school wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for all of the jerks. Especially one jerk in particular, a girl named Alyssa Jones. She has beautiful, long blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, and she's basically everything that I'm not. She goes out of her way to make life even more of a living hell for me.

Actually, that's an insult to Hell.

Letting out a huff of air, I sling my book bag over my shoulders, glad that I don't have any homework. My cheek is still a bit sore from my father smacking me earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if the bruise is even worse than it was this morning.

When the bus drops me off at home, I don't miss the black SUV in the driveway. So, Loki had been right about that. Apparently the God of Lies and Mischief does tell the truth every once in awhile. I frown at that, walking up the steps to my porch and turning the brass door knob. When I walk inside, my eyes fall on three people. One is my mother, and the other two I recognize from the news.

The woman with short red hair stands up first, wearing an intimidating skin tight, black cat suit looking outfit as she reaches out her hand, her blue-green eyes holding little warmth in them. "Karissa Summers, I'm Agent Natasha Romanoff, I'm-"

"I know who you are," I have to try and keep the excitement from my voice. The fact that Black Widow and Hawkeye are here, inside my house can't be very good for me. "You're the Black Widow."

Natasha smiles at this. "I am, and this is my partner Agent Clint Barton. We're both from S.H.I.E.L.D."

Shield, there's that word again. I glance at my mother, who hasn't stopped glaring at me the entire time. I take a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves.

"Shield . . . what is that?" I tilt my head, pretending like I've never heard that name before.

"Basically, it's a team of people to fight against the supernatural beings. You remember the Chitauri, right?" I nod. "Well, we fight against things like that."

"So what does that have to do with _me_ , then?" Natasha glances over at her partner, who stands from the chair he's seated in. My mother stands as well.

"That's where we take you with us. A few years ago, there were reports that you have seen and spoken with Loki. Are these reports true?" Her voice is more stern now. I back up a bit, but am stopped by two strong hands placed on my shoulders, keeping me from moving.

"W-Well, yeah . . . he's helped me out a couple of times." I'm looking at my mother now, clenching my fists. "It seems he's the only one who actually cares enough to help me, I didn't think there would be any harm talking to him at the time.."

"He's a lunatic. Didn't you see what he did to New York City?" Clint is talking this time, his voice holding an accent that I can't detect.

"Of course, practically everyone saw it," I snap, growing agitated now. I'm not _stupid_ , if that's what he thinks.

"That's enough, Barton. That's not why we're here," Natasha gestures for him to let go of me. When he does, I immediately step away from them, so that my back is up against the counter.

"Then why are you here? Am I in trouble?"

My mother speaks up this time, stepping forward. Her nearly black eyes are cold as she looks at me. "Of course you are. When are you not in trouble, you insolent little brat? We fed and raised you. This is the kind of thanks we get?"

I don't respond to her. In fact, I completely ignore her.

"I'll go with you . . ." I decide, looking between both of the agents. "As long as I don't ever have to come back here again." I'm not sure what makes me say this. But, I might finally have a chance to escape this place for good. I'd rather go to wherever they want to take me than stay here.

Natasha glances at my mother, before looking at me. Suddenly, she smiles, her hair bouncing a bit as she takes a step forward. "That can be arranged. We'll take you to Headquarters right away. Do you need to pack anything?"

"No, I'm ready to go right now." I turn to my mother, a smirk on my lips. "Tell Nate that I won't be home for dinner. In fact, tell him I won't be back _ever_."

Her jaw clenches in barely contained anger, she looks like she would have said something too if there weren't two superheros standing beside me. I give her a small wave, before turning and almost skipping out the door.

Once I'm in the back seat of the car, right behind the driver's seat, I tilt my head slightly. "You're going to interrogate me, right? Why? If I talked to Loki when I was thirteen, why does it matter?"

"Because, the Director wants to make sure that he didn't accidentally tell you any sort of classified information." Clint answers, sounding annoyed that I even asked that question in the first place.

"He never told me anything." Wait, now that I think about it, he did mention something about some sort of sorceress. I can't remember what her name was, though. But it's not like I'm going to tell them that anyways.

"For all we know, he could have." Natasha answers, glancing in the rear view mirror so she can look back at me.

"You don't trust me," I state simply, not at all hurt by it. I wouldn't trust me either if I were them.

"Do you trust us?" She questions, an eyebrow arching upwards.

I don't respond, letting my silence answer her question fior me. Instead, I sigh and lean against the window, the cool glass comforting me. In the distance, I can spot thunderclouds gathering. For some reason, I wonder if I'll get to meet Loki's brother, Thor. Actually, I wonder if I'll get to meet the rest of the Avengers. If so, what will they be like?

I close my eyes, willing those thoughts away. I won't let myself get curious, not when I don't trust them yet. Once I meet them, then I will decide what kind of people they are, and if they're even worth talking to.


	3. Chapter 2 - Captain America Can Cook

**AN: By the way, I apologize if the few first chapters aren't good. I wrote them a while ago and am in the process of editing them still! Please tell me what you think? I would love some contructivr criticism!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of their characters, I only own my own OCs and the plot!**

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 **Third Person Pov**

It doesn't take long for them to reach the tall building of the Avenger's Tower, which is surprising considering that New York City is usually filled with traffic during this time of the day. The three step out of the vehicle once Natasha finds a suitable place to park.

Karissa gulps when she realizes just how tall the builder ing is. When Clint sees her expression, he smirks and nudges her to keep moving. "What, afraid of heights?"

"Well, I'm not _overly_ fond of them." She states, blushing a bit from embarrassment as she steps inside of the tower. She's distracted by just how big the inside is. At least ten times larger than her room.

Directly across from them sits a long haired, strawberry blonde woman behind an oak desk. She looks up from the computer that she's typing on to smile at Natasha, nodding slightly.

"Hello Miss Romanoff, it's nice to see you again." She comments, a smile on her lips as she looks over at Karissa. "Oh, I assume this must be Miss Summers?"

Karissa glances over at Natasha, before eyeing the other woman. "Yeah . . . how do you know that?" A brief look of panic comes across the woman's expression.

"It's alright, Pepper. Let Fury know that we're coming up." Natasha lightly grabs Karissa's elbow, leading her to the elevator across from the desk.

"Okay, will somebody _please_ tell me what's going on? How did she know my name?" The teen questions, golden brown eyes demanding an answer as the metal doors slide shut. Karissa can feel her ears popping as they make their way up to the pent house.

"Director Fury will explain everything as soon as we're there." Natasha states calmly, causing Hawkeye to laugh at this.

"You're kidding, right Tasha? Fury will only explain what's necessary." Clint shakes his head.

"Wait, who's this Fury guy? I'm guessing he's pretty important, right?" Karissa asks just as the elevator stops with a soft bing. When the doors slide open, Karissa's question is answered for her.

"Pretty damn important." A loud, deep voice echoes across the room. The girl follows the other two heroes out of the elevator, spotting a man with dark colored skin, an eye patch over his right eye, and an intimidating black leather trench coat over his shoulders.

"You're Director Fury?" Karissa takes a nervous step forward, not taking her eyes away from him. Although she isn't sure what she should be looking at, his eye or the eye patch.

The Director offers a tight lipped smile, nodding. "I am."

"What do you want from me?"

"Information concerning a certain God of Mischief." Fury gestures for her to sit on the white leather couches near the flat screen television. "Sit down. We have a lot to discuss."

"So I'm told." She mutters grumpily, brushing past the Director to the couches. However, she stops short when she realizes who all is sitting there.

The legendary philanthropist Tony Stark, a tall blonde man sitting on the chair beside him, a tan older man with dark curly hair, another younger man with silver hair sitting right beside a young woman with long, wavy brown hair.

"W-Whoa.." She breathes, gulping unintentionally. The man with silver hair smirks at her, patting the empty space beside him.

"Come join us, pretty girl." Her knees about drop when she hears the sound of his heavily accented voice. Karissa nods silently, walking over to nervously sit beside him.

Natasha and Clint stand on either side of the Director, who is in between Karissa and the blonde man, right where everyone can see him.

Tony smirks and sits up, one leg crossed over the other. "So, who invited the kid?"

Fury resists the urge to roll his eyes. Karissa resists the urge to punch him in the face.

"I did, as a matter of fact. Now, as to why you're here, Miss Summers." The Director returns his attention back to the girl, his expression unreadable. "There have been reports of you interacting with Loki, the criminal who attacked New York City approximately four years ago."

"So?"

"So, what I want to know is why?. Did he happen to disclose any information to you?" This causes all eyes to land on Karissa, making her very uncomfortable.

"No, he didn't. I'm not exactly important, so why the hell would he tell me anything?" She snaps. Despite the fact that he did tell her something.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you getting so defensive?" Tony Stark speaks up this time, causing Karissa's fists to curl.

"I'm getting defensive because he was helping me." She stresses, feeling the strange need to defend the god.

"Why? What was he helping you with?" The blonde man questions in a softer tone.

"Oh I don't know, with not killing myself." Karissa looks at Fury, eyes cold.

Everyone goes silent for several moments. Clearly they weren't expecting that.

It's Natasha who breaks the silence, watching the girl intently. "Why would you do that?"

Karissa looks down at her hands, which are clasped tightly to keep from shaking. "Why wouldn't I want to? It was . . . a bad time, worse than most." She murmurs, swallowing hard. "My parents had been fighting, and they took their anger out on me. Especially . . . especially my dad."

She bites her bottom lip. "He . . . did things to me. I felt disgusting . . . so I took one of the kitchen knives and ran to the park." Karissa looks over at Tony Stark, who's usually carefree face was now void of any expression whatsoever.

"Just when I was about to end my life, Loki appeared. It must have been just before the battle. But he seemed so normal. He . . . somehow managed to convince me to live." She chuckles harshly. "So in a way, I guess I owe him."

"No you don't." The silver haired male places his large hands on hers, causing Karissa to look at him. "One act of kindness does not rid someone of their sins. You owe him nothing, especially in this case."

The girl beside him nods, leaning forward so she can look at Karissa. "My brother is right, for once."

Karissa looks slightly amused when the boy protests. Now she knows that the two must be siblings.

"I hate to interrupt this sentimental moment, but we are having an _actual_ meeting here." Fury breaks the tension, causing Karissa to snap out of her thoughts. "However, the Maximoff twins are correct. You don't owe him anything, especially since it's Loki." The Director looks at her. "So, you're telling me Loki didn't tell you anything?"

"I already told you Director Fury; no, he hasn't." Karissa gives an exaspherated sigh.

"Then there's not much we can do until Thor gets here. Which should be early tomorrow." This causes her to sit up now, eyebrows furrowed.

"What? Why is he coming here?" The blonde man sits up as well, looking curious.

"Because, Captain, our wannabe king died just a couple years ago, according to Thor." Fury answers, causing the girl's blood to run cold. She knows the truth. Loki isn't dead, she was talking to him just this morning.

"You don't think he's dead, do you Sir?" The Captain questions.

"Of course not. This is Reindeer Games we're talking about. He doesn't stay dead. Just like someone else we know." Tony smirks. Fury ignores the comment.

"Anyways, there's not much else we can do until Thor gets here." The Director almost waves his hands to dismiss Karissa and the others, when Natasha speaks up.

"Which reminds me, we need somewhere for Karissa to stay."

"Nope, sorry. This place isn't baby proofed," Stark states.

"Good, cause I wasn't planning on staying in this ugly excuse for a tower anyways." Karissa retorts.

Everyone except for Tony chuckles. Banner earns a glare from his lab partner, which quickly shuts him up.

"She can stay in my apartment with me for now." The Captain speaks up, amusement in his blue eyes.

"She can always share my bed." The Maximoff boy mumbles, just loud enough for his sister and Karissa to hear. Karissa's blush is warm enough to bake cookies, but she turns to him anyways.

"I don't sleep with strangers."

"My name's Pietro." He grins cheekily at her.

Karissa grins back, her blush fading. "You're still strange to me."

"Ookay, Roger's apartment it is." Natasha intervenes, shaking her head at the two. "Before the testosterone level increases."

Karissa nods sheepishly, standing along with the Captain. She smirks as she waves at Pietro and his sister, but it turns into a thankful smile as she passes by Natasha.

Then, Karissa and Rogers walk inside the elevator. The younger of the two feeling like a thousand pounds had been lifted off of her shoulders as they descend back to the lobby.

 ** _Next morning_**

 **First person pov**

The first thing I wake up to is the smell of bacon hitting my nose. My mouth waters, and I immediately push myself out of bed towards the direction of the smell. I don't even care that I still have my pajamas on, which consists of fluffy white pants with red polka-dots and a frilly white night shirt. Once in the kitchen, I'm greeted by the sight of Captain America cooking breakfast in a star spangled apron. Well, at least he's dedicated.

"Wow, out of all the things I've imagind in my life, Captain America cooking breakfast in an apron is not one of them." I state, unable to keep the smirk from my lips. Steve turns his head a bit to look at me, smiling at me before turning back to the food.

"Consider yourself lucky, then." He chuckles.

"Oh man, if only I had an Instagram right now," I muse to myself, tilting my head.

He turns to give me a confused look. "What?

Oh right, he's probably not up to date on social media websites. "Uh, nevermind." He shrugs and turns to the stove once again. "So . . . I'm smelling bacon, but what else are we having with the bacon?" I question, moving to stand beside him, watching him pour what I assume to be pancake batter in the pan. Yummy.

"Pancakes, and eggs are optional too."

"Yum. But I'm gonna pass on the eggs. I don't want to waste syrup space."

"Understandable."

Fifteen minutes later, Steve and I are sitting at the small dining table, both of us silent as we eat. My syrup drenched pancakes tasting like sugary heaven on my tongue. I down them in less than five minutes.

After setting my fork down, I drain my glass of milk. I haven't had a decent meal like this in five years. Thankfully, Steve isn't judging me. He seems to understand.

I gently place my plate in the kitchen, dismissing myself so I can change. I'm thankful that Wanda dropped some of her clothes off for me to wear. They are a little small, but they still work.

I'm just thankful that she has good taste. I'm wearing a black flowy skirt with a small bow in the front. A red blouse is tucked underneath, with all but the last button clasped. I slip my converse on over the leggings, before grabbing the hair brush that Nat gave to me.

I frown at the fading bruise on my right cheek, now an ugly yellow color. It seems weird that it had happened yesterday. Which reminds me of something, will I have to go back to school?

After brushing through my mane of hair, I set the brush back down and walk back out to Steve. He's changed into khaki's and a navy blue t-shirt, defining his muscular arms even more than usual.

"We're going back to Avenger's Tower, right?" I already know this, but I want to break the awkward silence that's developed between the Captain and I. He nods just as he's slipping his brown leather jacket over his shoulders.

"Yeah, that okay with you?"

"I don't know, will Pietro be there?"

He smirks. "Most likely."

"Yup, let's go." This earns a small chuckle from Steve, and then we're both heading out the door to his black camaro.

As soon as I take a step out of the elevator, a wave of dizziness washes over me. I lose my footing and would have face planted the floor, had it not been for Pietro's superhuman speed. He catches me just before I fall, a concerned look in his eyes.

The last thing I hear him saying is, "I don't think she is supposed to be this pale."

And then everything goes dark.


	4. Chapter 3 - Congrats! You have Weird DNA

**AN: Okay I was not expecting to get 68 views already tbh. But thank you to those of you who have followed/favorited this, I really, really appreciate it!**

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Almost as soon as my eyes open, I'm being bombarded with all sorts of questions from Bruce Banner, who I also figured out to be the Hulk. "How do you feel?" He questions as I sit on a metal table in his lab. He watches me carefully while he taps the end of a pen against his lip.

"Honestly, I feel fine." I answer truthfully, "I don't know why I collapsed like that. But I'm fine now."

Bruce nods, before grabbing a small syringe. "Do you mind if I take a blood sample?" I raise an eyebrow at this. What, does he think that I have some sort of disease or something? That's sort of ridiculous. Of course I don't have any diseases! At least . . . I hope I don't.

I shake my head anyways, holding out my arm. "I guess not. But why?"

"Oh, just in case. It's probably not anything serious, but I'm just curious." He explains with a small smile, before wrapping a blood pressure cuff around the top of my arm. It doesn't take him very long to draw my blood. Which is good, because I don't want to be in this lab any longer than necessary. Afterwards, Banner removes the blood pressure cuff and nods at me.

"Alright, you can go now. I'll probably have the results in an hour or two. Can you tell Stark to come in here?"

"Yeah, I can." I give him a thumbs up, before walking out of the lab and going back up to the lounge part of the penthouse. There, the Maximoff twins, Tony, and Steve are all hanging out, each of them seeming to be paying attention to the tv. Well, except for Wanda. She looks bored of watching football. But I can't really blame her, since I don't care much for the sport either.

"Stark, Bruce wants you in his lab." I call out, causing the older man to stand from the couch, looking rather excited to spend time with his lab partner. I swear, if Pepper and him don't work out, he should get together with Banner.

"Alrighty. If I'm not back in time, tell me who wins." He orders Steve, before brushing past me to go into the lab. I roll my eyes and take a seat beside Wanda, who sits between me and Pietro. She offers me a brief smile.

"You alright?" She questions. I have to fight to not be distracted by her voice.

"Yup, just peachy. Banner took a blood sample, so maybe he'll find out what's wrong with me then." I state casually, although I am a bit concerned as to what he might find. However, Wanda places a hand on my forearm, as if sensing my worry. Oh wait, she probably can. With her practically able to read minds, and all.

"You will be okay. No one in this room is 'normal', Karissa." She smirks, which earns a chuckle from Pietro. Apparently he had been paying more attention than I originally thought.

"Heh, you got that right. We're just a room full of superhuman freaks." He grins, before focusing his attention back to the television. Men. Wanda rolls her eyes at him, earning a small smile from me.

A comfortable silence settles throughout the room. Wanda gets up, stating that she is going to go to her room. However, I don't miss her wink to her brother, who decides to scoot closer to me once she's gone. I raise an eyebrow at him, but I don't protest. What does surprise me is that instead of watching the game, he actually turns his head to me and starts up a lighthearted conversation.

"So, how old are you again?" He questions curiously.

"I'm seventeen. I'm a senior in high school . . . but at this point I'm not even sure if I'll be going back to school." I say sheepishly, brushing a few stray strands of my hair away from my face. He raises an eyebrow at this.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, for one thing I hate it there. I'd rather be home schooled than to have to go back there, even if it is my last year. But also I don't really see a point, since I've practically learned all that I need."

Pietro looks away from me suddenly, his eyes gazing off into the distance. "If I had the opportunity, I would go back to school. My home . . . it was blown to bits when Wanda and I were only but the age of ten." He sighs slightly, and I have the urge to wrap my arms around him and hold him close. Wait, what the hell?

 _Stop it Karissa._

"I'm . . . so sorry, I had no idea." I murmur, feeling a bit guilty.

He laughs slightly and shakes his head. "I did not tell you that story to make you feel sorry for me. But I just want you to think about it before you decide to quit on school. Who knows, maybe you could get the education that I never did." Pietro gives me a smile, and even though he doesn't mean to make me feel guilty, I still do for some reason.

Before I can say anything else, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Director Fury, and another man that I instantly recognize to be Thor walks into the room. I stand, feeling a bit surprised. "You have the blood sample already?" I question, my nerves automatically going up.

Banner nods a bit. "Yeah, but you might want to sit down for this."

The television is turned off by Steve as I take a seat on the couch once again, feeling confused.

"Well, I'm not exactly certain, but there's a 90 percent chance that you aren't from this planet." Bruce states, causing my jaw to slowly fall open.

"Wh-What do you mean by that? Then what am I, an alien?" I question. Stark opens his mouth, but Bruce nudges him with his elbow.

"Well, technically no. Thor believes that you might actually be from Asgard." Banner stays silent to let that information sink in. Believe me, I needed that silence.

"From . . .Asgard? But how? My parents . . . they definitely aren't from there." I state, which is when Director Fury finally speaks up.

"Well, according to the files that I found on you, those are _not_ your real parents." He informs, tilting his head a bit to look at me. I'm unsure whether to feel overjoyed or confused by this information. "You really didn't know about this? Judging from what you said about those people, it seems like they would be the type to tell you that you aren't really theirs."

I shrug a bit. "I had no idea. That confuses me too, but maybe they didn't want me to run out on them if they told me. Because then they wouldn't be able to control me."

Fury seems to ponder this, and then nods a bit as if my statement makes sense. "The real question is what to do with you now. If you're from Asgard, then chances are that you might have unique abilities, like Loki or Thor."

"Well, doesn't everyone else here have _unique abilities_?" I question, feeling a bit offended. "Why do I have to be treated differently?"

"Because we don't know what you're capable of, Miss Summers." The Director's voice grows harsher at this. I laugh coldly, standing suddenly.

"Right. So you just lock up everyone who's different then, huh? And to think I was _actually_ starting to trust you." I snap, clenching my fists tightly. I feel a sudden tingling sensation spreading up and down my body. "You're just like everyone else, judging me before you can even know me. So where are you gonna put me, hm? Is there some sort of special cage I get to go into?"

"Hold on Miss Summers, I think you need to calm the hell down." Fury orders.

"And why's that? Are you afraid that my _unique abilities_ might show up or something?"

"Well, judging from the color of your eyes, I think they already are." Tony speaks up, holding up a small mirror. My eyebrows furrow, and as I step forward, I can see that he's right. My eyes are glowing a bright orange, like the color of a flame.

"That's . . . never happened before." I murmur, watching as the orange slowly fades to gold, and then back to brown. "Wh-What the hell?" I whisper to myself, backing up a couple of steps.

"I think we've settled this problem then. You'll be staying here, I'm sure Stark can arrange a room for you." The Director states, causing my shoulders to slump in defeat.

"Don't be too down in the dumps, little phoenix." Pietro places a hand on my shoulder. "My sister and I stay here too, so you will not get too lonely."

I can't help but to smile a little at this. "Thanks, Pietro."

 **Third Person POV**

A little while later, Karissa is laying on top of the queen size bed in her new room, her eyes gazing up at the ceiling as her thoughts wander. She doesn't understand how she can be from Asgard, her mind unable to be wrapped around the thought. If she is from Asgard, then who exactly are her real parents? Why did they send her away?

Before she can ponder on it for much longer, there's a familiar golden flash in her room. When she looks over, she isn't all that surprised to see Loki standing there, a small smirk on his pale lips. Karissa sits up, unable to hold back her glare.

"Now, what's with that look, little bird?" He questions, a teasing tone in his voice.

"You knew that I wasn't human, didn't you?" She questions, ignoring his strange nickname for her. Loki walks over to the bed, taking a seat beside her.

"Would you be upset if I did?"

"Well, yeah! Since you didn't even bother to tell me!" She whisper-shouts, not wanting anybody to hear her. If they came in there, she would be in big trouble. "Aren't you supposed to be dead, anyways?"

"Ah. I was given strict orders to not reveal your true blood." He pauses, tilting his head a bit. There's a twinkle in those emerald eyes of his. Karissa huffs slightly, unsure of what to say next. Loki carries out the conversation for her. "Besides, there are more important matters."

"Oh yeah? Like what, exactly?"

"Well, aren't you at least the tiny bit curious about your powers? Or how to control them?" Loki raises a slender black eyebrow at her. The teen crosses her arms over her chest.

"Well, maybe a little."

"Would you like me to help you?"

There's silence. Karissa won't admit it, but she is curious. "You can do that? How?"

"Close your eyes." Loki chuckles, amused when Karissa actually follows his instructions. "Now, concentrate. Clear your thoughts, and focus on the flicker of flame deep in your soul."

Karissa focuses on clearing her thoughts, breathing deeply as she imagines a spark, and then a tiny flame igniting inside of her. The smell of smoke reaches her nose, and at first she thinks it's just her imagination. But then, she feels a warmth on her fingers, and when she opens her eyes, she's surprised to find a tiny orange flame flickering over her pointer finger. She gasps softly, looking up at Loki, who is merely smirking over at her. The flame disappears quickly, but Karissa isn't disappointed. She's still shocked by the fact that she was able to make fire by only thinking about it. However, the action leaves her feeling a little bit drained. The God of Mischief chuckles a bit, but soon quiets himself when he hears a knock on the door. He disappears once again, leaving Karissa sitting there on the bed.

She rolls her eyes and opens the door, crossing her arms when she sees that it's Tony. "Uh, what are you doing in here?" He questions, giving her a suspicious look. Karissa ignores him, brushing past him when the scent of food reaches her nostrils. Her stomach growls a bit. She hadn't realized how hungry she was.

Once in the dining room, her mouth waters when she sees the plates of spaghetti set out on the dining table. She takes a seat next to Pietro, which also happens to be next to Steve. Tony walks in and sits directly across from her, next to Banner. He glares at her, before jabbing his fork into the pasta. Karissa rolls her eyes and twirls her pasta on her fork, nodding in approval when it touches her tongue. Whoever cooked this did an amazing job.

The silence is broken when Bruce speaks up, directing his questions to Karissa. "So, do you have any plans for the future?" Stark snorts at this, snapping his eyes to Banner.

"Are you serious? She can't have plans anymore, the little alien is stuck here."

"Tony!" Wanda growls, glancing at Karissa before her intense brown eyes land back on the billionaire. "How can you say such cruel things? What has she ever done to you?"

"Well she hasn't done anything to help us, exactly. She claims that Loki hasn't told her anything, which is strange considering that the god was a walking, talking gloat machine." Stark snaps.

"Well, it's obvious I'm not wanted here." Karissa stands, no longer in the mood for eating. "I'll be going to bed, then."

"Karissa-"

"It's alright, Wanda. Thanks for standing up for me." The teen heads back to her room, ignoring the dull feeling in her chest as she lays on her bed. Eventually, she manages to fall asleep, her nightmares causing her to toss and turn.


	5. Chapter 4 - Practice Makes Perfect

**Third Person POV**

Karissa wakes up to the sound of gentle knocking, her eyelids fluttering open when a muffled voice sounds from the other side of her door. Steve. "Hey Karissa, you and I are going to go down to the training room so I can teach you how to fight."

The teen grumbles slightly, before pushing the warm blankets off of herself. "Why this early?"

"Because the early bird gets the worm. Now hurry up, your breakfast is getting cold." The captain's footsteps fade away from the door. Karissa sighs and sits up, wincing when she sees the state of her hair. She grabs the brush next to her bed, along with a black hair tie, and pulls her hair into a single braid so that it lies in between her shoulder blades.

Next she rummages through the dresser, glad that Natasha had gotten her some new clothes. She pulls out a red t-shirt and some black yoga pants that would give her more room to move. Next Karissa pulls on some combat boots, smirking at herself in the mirror. When in reality, Steve Rogers will most likely be kicking her butt. Once she's ready, Karissa walks out of her room and into the kitchen, grabbing a plate of eggs and bacon that Steve must have set out for her. She feels a slight breeze beside her, and looks over in mild surprise to see Pietro standing beside her.

"Good morning, little phoenix." He grins, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Why do you call me that?" She questions as she sits at the table, watching as he sits beside her.

"Well, you've got the fierceness of a phoenix. You're also on the short side." Pietro answers, stealing a bite of her bacon. Karissa sighs and begins eating her eggs, delighted to find that there is a layer of cheese on them.

"I'm not short." She states after swallowing a bite.

"Ah, but you're shorter than me, yes?" He snickers, causing Karissa to roll her eyes.

"I don't think so." She laughs a bit, finishing the last of her eggs. She knows very well that she is shorter than him. Pietro raises an eyebrow and leans towards her.

"Oh really?" He smirks. He either doesn't seem to realize how close he's gotten to Karissa, or he doesn't seem to care. She nods, smirking right back at him despite how nervous she suddenly feels. "Well-"

"Karissa, are you done eating yet?" Steve's voice cuts through the room, interrupting the twos' playful banter. She sighs and nods, looking at Pietro one last time before standing to follow the Captain into the elevator. When she turns around, she's greeted by Quicksilver once again. Sometimes she forgets how fast he can be.

"Uh, what are you doing?" She questions, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

Pietro spreads his arms as the door closes behind them, nodding for Steve to press the button to the training room. "I thought this was obvious. I'm coming to watch, of course. Should be good entertainment."

Karissa rolls her eyes for what seems to be like the thousandth time since talking to Pietro. "What if I don't _want_ you to watch?"

"That sounds like a tragedy for you," He winks at her. Steve clears his throat.

"I'm still here, guys. _Please_ stop flirting in front of me." This causes Karissa to blush slightly, while Pietro doesn't even look bothered by the comment.

 **First Person POV**

Seriously. Why does Pietro have to come with? Doesn't he realize that it's going to be even harder for me to concentrate when he's there watching me? Not to mention that I'm probably (most likely) going to embarrass myself in front of him. Once we're in the training room, which is about the size of a football field, Steve teaches me how to throw a punch first. He puts me in the correct position, makes sure my feet and hands are correctly placed, and then he holds the palms of his hands up. He nods at me, signalling that he's ready.

"Wait, you're just going to use your bare hands?" I question, swallowing nervously. Steve smiles at this.

"You're not gonna hurt me, I promise." _Wow, way to put your faith in me, Captain._

Taking a deep breath, I swing my right arm so that my fist connects with the palm of his hand. Everything seems to be going in slow motion from here. Before my hand can connect, he grabs my elbow and pulls me hard against his chest, causing my breath to leave me. Well then, that was just rude.

"Stay on your toes. Your enemy isn't going to just let you hit them, you're going to have to make sure that you aren't caught off guard." I can hear Pietro cackling. If I had more practice, I would send a ball of flames towards him. We'd see who'd be laughing then. "Now, how are you going to get out of this?"

I glance down at his feet, which are right behind mine. With a smug grin, I lift my own foot up and bring my heel down on his toes. When he loosens his grip, I go with my instincts and jab my elbow backwards into his stomach. This causes him to cough and release me all together. I turn around to see a smile on his lips, but he hasn't even broken a sweat. Meanwhile, I can already feel beads pooling on my forehead.

"Good job. Let's go at it again. Next time, you get to try with Pietro." Steve informs me. I blink at him, feeling my heart rate going up slightly.

"Wait, why? I thought he was just a bystander?"

"Not anymore. Now c'mon." He gestures for me to get into the position he showed me. I plant my feet shoulder width apart, bending my knees a bit as I raise my fists. He holds his hands up to me once again, a gleam in his ocean blue eyes. This time when I throw the punch, I bring up my leg to knee him in the gut just as he's reaching for my elbow. He stumbles backwards slightly, and I use this opportunity to actually get a punch in. However, he's already recovered. The next thing that happens is my back being pulled harshly against his chest once again. He's won.

I scowl when Steve lets go of me, placing a hand on my hip. "I almost had you."

"Sure you did, little phoenix. But now it's my turn." Pietro speaks up, grinning as the Captain moves aside so he can take his place. "Let's see how well you do against a real pro like me, eh?"

"Okay, but let's set some rules first. You can't use your super speed." I point out, already getting into position.

"That's no fun. But alright, little phoenix. Let's do this."

I barely have time to dodge Pietro's fist, but I do manage to grab his wrist and pull him closer to me. I knee him in the stomach, a bit harder than I meant to, and grin a bit when he stumbles backwards. I send my own fist to connect with his jaw, but before it does, he's grabbing and pinning me around so my back is against his chest. Like with Steve, except this time I can feel myself blushing.

"Aw, I thought the old man told you to not get caught off guard?" He chuckles in my ear, and I have to fight a shiver. I force myself to focus, and send my elbow into his chest, causing him to cough and let go of me. I use all my strength to kick him backwards, sending him stumbling onto his back. I straddle him, grinning as he looks at me with surprise.

"What's wrong? I thought you weren't supposed to be caught off guard?" I lean down, looking into his shockingly bright blue eyes. I stand and stretch my hand out in order to help him up. He stares at it for a moment, before grinning and taking it. Once back on his feet, he wraps an arm around the small of my back and tugs me close, so that our bodies are touching.

"You're funny, little phoenix. I underestimated you." Pietro laughs.

"You should never underestimate me." I retort, feeling a little light-headed.

"I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow." He nods, the grin fading into a smirk as he lets me go all too soon. I never realized how warm he is until I'm suddenly feeling cold without him.

"You're going with me _again_ tomorrow?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. You know what they say, practice makes perfect." He states, brushing past me. I roll my eyes and follow him, almost forgetting that Steve is still here. Whoops. I turn to the Captain, a sheepish smile on my lips. He shakes his head.

"Just get on the elevator, Summers. I'll order takeout."

I'm honestly surprised that Steve even knows how to work the modern day cellphone. But I don't comment on it, because I'm just happy that we're having Chinese food. Once the food is here, I grab what I ordered and plop down on the couch, crossing my legs before taking a bite. I nod my head in approval. There really is nothing better than Chinese takeout. Well, maybe except a certain silver-haired boy. Who is in fact sitting right beside me.

"By the way, where's Wanda? I thought you two were like inseparable, or something." I say in between bites, briefly glancing at Steve as he sits down across from us.

"She's out on a mission with Natasha in Pennsylvania. Never got the details." Pietro shrugs, slurping up his noodles.

"Oh."

"So Karissa, have you figured out your powers yet?" Steve questions, which causes me to look at him. I grin at this question, nodding as I set my food down on the coffee table in front of us.

"Sure have. Watch this." I smirk and hold up my pointer finger, closing my eyes and focusing on the flame inside of me, just like Loki told me to do. It doesn't take long for me to hear the small flicker of a fire, followed by the comforting warmth surrounding my finger. I open my eyes once again, wanting to see what the boys' reactions were. Just like I expected, they seemed to be a little shocked. They both stop eating for a few moments, and I allow the fire to flicker out. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Technically, it's hot." Pietro points out, and I'm about to comment on that, when I hear the one voice that I don't want to hear. Nick Fury's.

"I see you've found out your ability, then." He states, expression void of emotion like usual. I can't help but to silently wonder if he's a robot, or something along those lines.

I nod and stand up as he beckons me to follow him. I do, even if it is reluctantly. Fury leads me into some sort of large office, sitting down at a desk while I walk over to peer out the window. I'm reminded just how tall this tower is again when I see that the citizens of New York City look like tiny little specks from here. Fury clears his throat, and I turn my attention back to him.

"Some of the avengers and I have been talking, and they believe you would make a good addition to Shield, as well as their team." Talk about not beating around the bush. My eyes widen slightly as I slowly sit down across from him.

"Why would they think that? I'm not even that strong."

"Don't underestimate what you're capable of, Miss Summers. I agree with them." He admits, sitting up in his chair. I blink at him.

"Okay, now I _know_ I'm dreaming. Was that a compliment?" Fury rolls his eye, ignoring the question all together.

"But in order for me to officially let you into the team, I'm going to need oral agreement from you." He explains, looking patient with me for once in his life.

"And you're saying I get to make this decision?"

"Of course."

I lean back in my chair, mind reeling. If I do join the Avengers, what would happen? Would Loki get angry with me? I chew on my bottom lip, a habit of mine that I do when I'm nervous. Finally, I open my mouth to speak. "Can I think about it?" To my surprise, the Director nods.

"Yes. You have two days to make your final decision." He waves his hand. "Now get out of my office."

As soon as I close the door to my room, Loki appears on my bed once again. I sigh inwardly and sit beside him, gently tapping my foot. "What are you doing here, Loki? You can't keep showing up like this every time I come into my room."

"And why not? I thought you were starting to grow fond of me." He teases, causing me to roll my eyes at him.

"Yeah, sure you did."

"You seem uneasy. What is troubling you?"

"Nothing."

He gives me a look. I run a hand through my hair, finally bringing myself to look over at him. "Director Fury wants me to join the Avengers." I answer truthfully, nervous as to what his reaction will be. Loki is silent for a moment, before tilting his head.

"I do not see how that is a problem. Is that not what you wanted?" He questions, looking confused.

"Well, I thought you would be angry with me if I did join." I admit, feeling a bit stupid now that I think about it.

"And why do you care about how I feel?" When I don't answer him, he sighs and moves on. "Have you been practicing with your magic?" Magic. That word feels so strange.

"I haven't exactly had the time."

"Well then, now is the perfect opportunity. Try to make a bigger flame this time," Loki challenges. I can feel his eyes on me even as I close mine and stretch my hand out in front of me. It takes me a few tries, but after a couple moments, I manage to get a weak ball of flame flickering over my hand. I open my eyes and smile, feeling proud of myself that I actually succeeded in something for once.

"Very well done, little bird." Loki nods after I will the flame to go out. I'm thankful that I didn't set the fire alarms off. "I must take my leave, now. I am afraid that I will not be back for a couple days. I suggest that you do join that team of humans, it could do you good." And then as quickly as he appeared, he disappears as if he were never here at all.

I spend the rest of the day lounging in bed, and when it comes time to go to sleep, I manage to do so without a problem. If only the next day could be as simple as this one.

* * *

 **AN: Well that was fun. Too bad things won't stay good for Karissa.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a reviewe. It would be very appreciated :)**


	6. Chapter 5- Strange Witches

It turns out that I don't end up training with Pietro. Instead, I get to train with his sister, Wanda. She works on my magic with me, helping me with getting a larger distance and a hotter flame. My hands give off a golden glow as I shoot my flames towards her. Wanda deflects them with her magic, her eyes filled with an intensity that makes me glad she's on our side now. The witch ups her power, shoving the red energy so hard that my flames go out. I'm sent flying backwards onto the floor, the impact knocking the wind out of me for a few seconds. Wanda stands over me, a smirk on her lips as she outstretches her hand to help me up.

"That was a nice match. Next time we will work on your control." She states, pulling me back up to my feet. I nod in agreement.

"Alright. Now what?" I question, wiping the sweat off of my forehead with the back of my hand.

"Now you tell me what has been bothering you." This causes me to tense up a bit with worry. "If you cannot trust me, than you cannot trust anyone." Wanda takes a step forward, gently grabbing my wrist to lead me over to the black plushy chairs at the side of the training room.

"Can't you just read my mind and find out?" I tilt my head, sitting down beside her. She gives me an amused smile.

"I could, yes. But that is no way for me to gain your trust, is it?"

She has a point.

"Alright, fine. But you have to promise not to tell the others. At least, not yet. Not until I can figure out what's going on." Now Wanda looks concerned, but she nods anyways.

"I swear to it. I will not tell a soul." She sits up slightly, giving me a patient look. I take a deep breath, before finally telling her about Loki.

I tell her about how he appeared to me just a few weeks ago before school, warning me about Shield. I also tell her about how he's been helping me with my magic as well. I'm glad that Wanda is a good listener. She doesn't interrupt, she only acknowledges my information by nodding. Once I'm finished, she leans forward and takes my hand in hers, her greenish-brown eyes glowing red. I nod, giving her permission when I realize that she's going to read me. Even though it does make me slightly uncomfortable, since I don't exactly know why she's doing it. But even if it's hard for me to admit, I do trust her. Maybe because in a small way, me and her are sort of similar.

She closes her eyes, and then snaps them open, giving me a surprised look. "You . . . You did not deserve the pain that he inflicted upon you." Wanda murmurs, red painted lips pursed with concern. I realize that she must be talking about the people who raised me. I squeeze her hand gently, offering a small smile.

"It's okay, Wanda. Really, I'm over it now." Even though I will never truly be over it. How can I be?

She shakes her head, looking too serious for my liking. "You do not need to hide your emotions, Karissa."

I shrug, looking away from her. "It's a habit. I'm used to doing it, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."

"You will hurt more that way. I have learned that hiding how I feel and being pushed around is worse than being honest with myself." Wanda stands, pulling me up along with her. "Do not feel that you have to hide yourself anymore, Karissa. Please."

Back in the penthouse, the Maximoff twins and I both treat ourselves to chips and sandwiches. I'm sitting in between them, with Pietro on my right and Wanda on my left. I swat Pietro's hand away when he tries to steal one of my chips. After eating, I settle back against the couch, looking out of the window and into the cloudy sky. I still haven't gotten a chance to speak with Thor yet. Which sort of irritates me.

"Hey Pietro, you've met Thor, right?" I question, turning my head towards him. He nods, swallowing down the last bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah, both Wanda and I have." He looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I haven't even talked to him yet." I huff, crossing my arms in annoyance. "He spends most of his time with Stark and Banner."

"Perhaps he's just avoiding you," He teases with a grin. I jab him in the side with my elbow.

"Very funny," I glare at him.

Suddenly, the lights in the room begin to flicker, causing the three of us to go silent. I hear a ringing inside my head, as if there were someone trying to get into my brain. Apparently the twins were feeling it as well, because when I look over at them they both have a panicked look on their faces.

 _Ah, very good._

A velvety, British sounding voice coos. We all stand, with me urging my flames to come into my hands. However, I seem to have problems.

 _What is the matter, little princess? Are you having trouble controlling your powers?_

I clench my fists, my heart pounding inside of my ears. "Who the hell are you? And what do you mean, 'little princess'? My father isn't a king."

 _Oh? So you mean that he has failed to inform you? Well, this certainly makes for an interesting show, indeed._ The voice chuckles softly. The only thing that I'm able to tell is that it is definitely female.

"You didn't answer my first question, so I'll ask it again. Who the hell are you?" I snap, trying hard to keep myself from shivering. "Why can't I use my magic?"

 _Excuse my poor manners. My name is Nanna. Well, more specifically,_ Queen _Nanna._ She's silent for a moment. _To answer your second question, shadow trumps fire. So, it looks like I already have you beat in that category._

"What do you want?" Wanda speaks up, her eyes glowing red as she prepares her magic.

 _Oh, nothing specific, little witch. I just wanted to get your attention._ Nanna taunts. _Soon, we will meet in person. But for now, I have an army to prepare._

My eyes widen slightly at that. What does she mean by army? Where the hell is this bitch even from?

 _Goodbye, darlings. It was so lovely to meet you all._

The lights come back on as soon as her presence disappears. Everything goes into chaos.

Director Fury storms out of his office, demanding a meeting with all of the Avengers (which I guess includes me too) in the living room. As soon as we are all gathered, with Thor standing beside Nick, the arguments begin.

"Who is she?"

"What did she want?"

"Where is she from?"

All of these questions are suddenly cut off when Thor's voice booms across the room. " _Enough_!" He snaps, causing us all to turn our heads to him. When everyone is silent, he nods. "Thank you."

He crosses his thick arms, which look to be about the size of an oak tree's trunk. (Okay, I'm exaggerating a little. But seriously, his arms are huge.) "I believe that this sorceress is from the planet of Völva, which is a planet parallel to Asgard. It resides on the outside of the nine realms, and can only be reached during certain times of the year." He pauses, glancing around the room. He quickly looks away when his gaze meets mine, which I think is strange.

"This world has five moons, each of them holding the sorce of Völva's power. The strongest of them is Rökkr, the moon of Shadow." The god of thunder explains. I snort.

"Because that's not cliche'." I mumble under my breath. Pietro smirks beside me, obviously thinking the same thing.

"I also have reason to believe Loki may be involved in this somehow. If my brother is still alive, it would not be of surprise to me." There is a hint of sorrow in his voice, which causes my heart to pang slightly with guilt. I know that I should tell them that Loki is in fact alive, but I just can't gather the courage to do so. Wanda grabs my hand, squeezing it softly in silent reassurance. I relax slightly, squeezing her hand back as I tune back in to Thor's little speech.

"..However, I fear there is little we can do until we find out when the worlds will align."

Bruce Banner raises his hand, nodding. "I should be able to calculate that with the help of Tony. We'll just need some time."

Tony looks like he's going to pass out from excitement.

"Until then," Director Fury looks around at all of us, but his gaze lands mostly on Stark. "Lay _low_. We don't need to attract any unwanted attention to ourselves. Is that clear, Stark?"

"Well then, I'm offended now." Tony mocks a pout. Nick continues to glare at him. " _Fine_ , learn to get a sense of humor, will you?"

He's ignored. The Director turns to Banner. "Get to work on those calculations. I want the results as quickly as possible." He turns to walk back to his office, trench coat flapping dramatically as he does. Everyone except for me and Pietro clears out. Wanda claims that she's tired. I don't exactly blame her, it's already starting to get dark outside.

Pietro scoots closer to me, but I don't react. "Something is bothering you." He states, lightly nudging me with his elbow. I look at him, raising an eyebrow. Is it really that obvious?

Should I tell him the truth about Loki? But what if he gets upset? Or worse, what if he stops talking to me all together? I sigh, contemplating on what to do, when the perfect answer pops into my head.

"I guess . . . I'm just worried about this whole Völva business, you know? What if Loki is still alive? Will he try a different approach at taking over Earth?" Which isn't technically a lie. I _am_ worried about Loki and what he's planning. The next time I see him, I'm going to get some answers from him.

Pietro frowns slightly, turning his body so that he faces me fully. He lifts his hand to brush the stray strands of hair from my face, his blue eyes seeming to search into mine. I could go swimming in those eyes, as corny as it sounds.

"I do not think you have to fear him, this time. Loki may have gotten more powerful, but so have the Avengers." Pietro smiles suddenly, a sparkle in his eyes. "Now that we have you, we will be even stronger."

I smirk at him. "I haven't even told Fury my official answer, yet." Although I think I've already made my decision.

"We both know what your answer is going to be." He winks. I roll my eyes, feeling slightly better.

"Mhm, what ever." We're leaning closer to each other now. I don't even realize it until our noses are almost touching. I lick my suddenly dry lips, feeling my heart beating faster. Suddenly I'm forgetting why I'm supposed to be worried. It's funny how Pietro seems to be good at doing that. His hand slips into mine, but before anything happens, I give him a coy smile and pull away.

"Well then, I think I've had enough trouble for one day." I wink, swallowing back a laugh as he blinks at me stupidly. I can't let my feelings for him distract me right now. Especially when I've practically just met the guy. I blow him a kiss, instead. "Good night, Pietro!" I call, before strutting off towards my room.

However, I find that I won't be allowed sleep just yet. Because when I close the door and turn around, my eyes land on the god of mischief himself. I swallow back my nerves, crossing my arms as I take a step towards him.

"What are you doing here, Loki?" I snap, unable to keep the hostility from my voice. He tilts his head, obviously not expecting that greeting.

"Is that any way to be treating a friend?" He questions.

"That's the thing. We are _not_ friends, Loki. Not if you don't tell me what the Hell is going on." I demand, keeping my expression free of emotion.

His normally emerald eyes are a weird shade of violet, causing alarm bells to begin ringing in my head. Before I can even take a step back, he lunges towards me, his hand slamming against the door beside me, causing me to flinch. A crazed grin is on his lips as he traps me, sending a wave of fear washing over me as he leans forward.

 _He's a maniac._

"Fine, then. Let us talk, little bird."

* * *

 **AN: Well then, that escalated quickly. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Things are about to get really crazy here soon, hehe.**


	7. Chapter 6 - A Failed Confrontation

I swallow hard when Loki's hand slams against the door, my eyes widening slightly as I force myself to look into his. The unnatural shade of violet unsettles me even more, but I won't look away. I'm not going to cower away from him, no matter how much I want to.

"Tell me then, Karissa, what is it you wanted to discuss?" He questions, his lips turning upwards into a creepy smile. I can feel goosebumps rising on my arms.

"I want to know what you're planning, and why you're trying to get _me_ involved." I snap, inwardly wincing when my voice quivers. He arches a black, slender eyebrow, before stepping away from me completely.

"Why do you accuse me so easily? Perhaps I am simply attempting to help you." He chuckles softly, but I can see right through his lie. I'm not stupid like the others.

"You don't help anyone but yourself. All you want is power." I counter, taking a slow step towards him. I can feel my hands burning with anger, the fire inside me begging to be released. Oh, how I'm tempted to ruin that face of his for good.

"Ah, but I did help you once, didn't I?" Loki smirks, beginning to walk a slow circle around me. "You were but a frail thing, then. Barely thirteen years old. Your mind was weak, as was your heart."

I swallow hard, forcing myself to not show emotion. "If you really gave a damn about me, you wouldn't be using that against me." I shake my head. "But now I know why you did save me. It all makes sense now." My hands ball into fists at my side. "You just wanted to use me for whatever it is that you're planning. Isn't that right, Loki?"

"Finally, you figured it ou-" He doesn't have time to finish that statement. Before I can stop myself, my hand flies across his cheek, his head snapping sideways. I feel the sting of my skin meeting his when I back up. My jaw almost drops when his skin actually sizzles.

I look down at my hand to see that it's smoking, but before I can say anything, Loki is already lunging at me. His hand wraps tightly around my throat as his lips curl into a snarl. His cheek is already blistering from the heat of my hand..

"You mewling little _quim_. How dare you strike me with your _filthy_ hands!" Loki growls, his fingers pressing down on my trachea. I gasp for air, trying to claw his hands off of me. The god slams me against the door, causing pained tears to fill my eyes when my head cracks against the wood. "I should kill you right now." Loki tightens his grip even more. I can feel my lungs running out of air. "But I don't think I will. I think I'll make you suffer, instead." He releases me, those violet eyes dark.

I cough, rubbing my throat in an attempt to soothe the ache. No doubt there would be bruises there tomorrow. I look back up at him, feeling satisfaction when I see that the blister is only getting worse on his face.

"I'll tell everyone that you're alive, Loki. We'll stop you before you even get a _chance_ to kill us." I warn, wincing when my voice sounds hoarse. He chuckles, shaking his head.

"Oh how I thought you were going to say that." Loki glares right back at me. "However, if you so much as breathe a word to anyone besides the little witch, I'll tell them about your secret. I'll explain how you lied to them about me, how you never said I was alive in the first place." This causes my blood to run cold. My mouth snaps shut, shoulders slumping in defeat. "If your new little friends figure out that you unintentionally helped me, I highly doubt that they will ever trust you again." Loki smirks. "It will make you wish that you joined my side, little bird."

He pauses, tilting his head thoughtfully. "But perhaps in time, you'll learn that for yourself."

And with a wave of his hand, he's gone. Leaving nothing but a faint shimmer of gold behind. I bite my lip and slump onto my bed, squeezing my eyes shut. I'm conflicted on what to do, now. If I tell the Avengers that Loki is alive and planning something bad, then it will put them in danger. However, if I do stay silent and they find out, they might never trust me again. I might end up losing Pietro.

I wince at that thought. _Pietro_. I definitely don't want to lose him.

If I were selfless, like Steve Rogers, the decision might be easy. But I'm not. I'm a stupid, selfish girl who can't even make the right choice! I slam my fist on the bed, feeling myself growing angry at my weakness. I hate Loki so much! I want to scream, to set him on fire. But I can't even do that without anybody else finding out. I can't do anything to him right now. This feels like some kind of sick joke.

I jump slightly when I hear a soft knock on my door, looking up in worry. "Who is it?" I call out, slowly standing up from the bed. If it's anyone besides Wanda, I'm screwed. But thankfully, her voice sounds from the other side of the door.

"It is me. Can I come in?" She questions, her voice soft.

I nod, but then remember that she can't see me. "Uh, yeah. Just come in, the door's unlocked." I sit back down on the bed when the door opens, looking away to avoid her gaze.

"I felt a powerful presence in this room. Was that Loki?"

I nod, clasping my hands firmly to keep them from shaking. I can hear her coming closer to me, and then I feel the bed shifting slightly. At first, I flinch when her fingers touch my skin, but I realize that she just wants me to look at her.

Wanda's eyes widen when she sees my throat, her fingers gently brushing against the bruises. "He hurt you." She murmurs, lips pursing.

"I stepped out of line." I tell her with a soft smirk. "I slapped and burned him." Wanda looks slightly amused by this. "I wanted to get information, but I couldn't even succeed in that." I chuckle coldly, shaking my head slightly. "I don't understand how Fury could possibly want me in the Avengers."

"Karissa, do not think so lowly of yourself." Wanda gently grabs my arm, her thumb soothing my skin. "Loki is a cruel, manipulative god. He is not like you and I. He will use our pain to his advantage."

I don't miss her wincing at this, as if she were reminded of something. "I was similar to him in a way. I believed that Ultron could give me what I wanted."

"Ultron.." I murmur, shivering slightly. "Wasn't that one of Stark's creations?"

Wanda nods a bit. "I made the decision to trust him, only because of his hatred for Tony." I come to the conclusion that a lot of people don't like Tony. Even his own inventions. That's gotta hurt.

"I never trusted Loki, but he did help me, and-" Suddenly, I'm remembering something. "His eyes! They weren't natural. They weren't natural. They were purple. Do you think . . . Nanna is somehow controlling him?"

She frowns. "I do not know, it is hard for me to tell. Once I am able to see her, then I will know for certain."

"Oh, okay." I nod, trying to hide a smiles a bit at that.

"You must be tired. I will let you rest now." She gently pats my hand, before standing from my bed. "Unless you want me to stay?"

"No, it's alright. Goodnight, Wanda."

She nods. "Goodnight, Karissa. Sleep well."

* * *

 **One day later**

 **Third Person Pov**

Bruce Banner has already detected when they will be able to reach Völva. He and the rest of the group sit around a large oak oval table, with Karissa sitting on the far end across from him. Pietro and Steve sit on either side of her, with the latter of the two males looking more serious. When everyone is paying attention, Banner stands and picks up a blue dry erase marker, drawing a circle on the large white board behind him. He then draws another one above that with the brown marker, and finally draws six more above it.

Bruce points to the blue circle first. "This is Earth, which just so happens to be parallel with Asgard." He points to the brown circle. "Now, Völva is almost parallel to Asgard, but in order for us to get there, it has to be aligned directly with us. Along with all five of its moons. More specifically, Rökkr."

Steve speaks up first. "We already know this information."

"Right, but it's crucial that we get to Asgard at exactly the right moment. Because if we don't, we won't be getting to Völva." Banner pauses, turning his head to Thor. "I'm assuming that we'll need Odin's permission to use the Bifrost?"

The god nods, blue eyes stormy. "That is correct. I am not certain that I will be able to persuade him so easily. He does not care for Völva, or its moons."

Karissa speaks up this time. "Why? Are they enemies, or something?"

Thor looks at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. However, Wanda can read him clearly. She's surprised at what she sees, but she will keep quiet for now.

"Not quite. There is a witch in that world that does not care for him, however. She goes by the name of Maura. She has been wanting the throne ever since she was a child." Thor explains, briefly wondering if he is telling too much.

"But if she's from Völva, then why does she want Asgard's throne?" Karissa questions, feeling like she knows this Maura person for some reason.

"That is the thing, she was exiled by Odin at birth. She is rumored to be a daughter of either Loki or Surt. Whether those rumors are true or not, I haven't a clue." Thor's voice softens slightly.

"I see." Karissa murmurs, eyebrows furrowing slightly. Bruce clears his throat.

"As I was saying, the exact date that the planets will be parallel is on March 25th." He says. "It's September now, so we still have six months to prepare."

"Wait, really?" Karissa raises an eyebrow. "That's my birthday."

Thor looks away at this, causing Wanda to grow even more suspicious of him.

"Well, that will be an interesting birthday." Pietro chuckles, causing Karissa to nudge him with her elbow.

"How do you propose we prepare for this journey?" Thor questions, switching the subject completely.

Steve speaks up at this, a professional tone in his voice. "We'll have to train harder, there's no telling what Völva or any of its moons will be like. Who knows what we'll encounter."

Everyone nods in agreement.

"So, can we go now?" Karissa questions, growing bored of sitting still for so long. Bruce nods, an amused light in his eyes.

"Yeah, that's all I have for now."

Karissa and the Maximoff twins stand at the same time, all grinning at each other, before walking out of the room. The younger of the three heads towards Director Fury's office, a determined gleam in her golden brown eyes.

She knocks on the foggy glass door, before opening it without permission. Fury gives her a look of agitation and annoyance. Karissa smirks.

"Is that any way to treat the newest member of the Avengers?" She grins at him, crossing her arms with a smug expression.

Nick raises an eyebrow, standing from the chair he had been sitting in. "So you're joining us, then?" He questions, looking slightly surprised.

"Of course, I didn't do all of that training with Steve and Wanda for _nothing_." Karissa waves her hand, causing him to roll his eyes.

"It's an honor to have you on our side, Miss Summers. Welcome to the team."

* * *

 **AN: please tell me what you think? Constructive criticism is appreciated, but no flaming!**


	8. Chapter 7- Welcome to the Team!

Not even twenty seconds after announcing my official joining of the Avengers, Tony Stark is already babbling on about throwing a 'celebratory' party. But I think he just wants a reason to show off his sparkly new tower. Although in my opinion, the old one looked way better. Right now I'm getting ready with Wanda and Nat in my room, debating on what I should wear. Actually, _they_ are debating on what I should wear, I could care less. If I had the option to go in some skinny jeans and a band t-shirt, I would. But no, apparently I have to dress up at a party that people are just going to get drunk at any ways.

"What do you think about this, Natasha?" Wanda pulls away from the closet, holding up a red sweet heart dress that stops just above the knee. It also has red sequins that are sewn into the neckline, sparkling like rubies in the light.

"Oh yeah, I think she'll definitely get Pietro's attention with that." Natasha smirks, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Will you two stop it? Pietro isn't even-" I go quiet when both of them give me a look, stating clearly that they don't believe me.

"Trust me, Karissa. I know my brother, and I know that he's never looked at any woman the way he looks at you." Wanda smirks, pushing the dress into my arms. "Now get changed, we still have to do something with your hair."

After giving a soft sigh, I trail into the bathroom and begin to strip off my clothing, taking this time to notice how much my body has filled out since living at Stark tower. My ribs don't stick out as much as they used to, and my abs are also toned with muscle because of my training with the Maximoff twins, Natasha, and Steve. I quickly shake out of my thoughts and slip into the dress, secretly liking the feeling of the soft fabric brushing against my skin. When I look in the mirror, it's hard for me to think that I'm the same girl from a few weeks ago. I barely had a family then, but now, I feel like I finally belong. Even if I am hiding a secret from the majority of them.

There's a knock on the door, followed by Wanda's voice muffled by the wood. "Karissa, are you going to be in there all day?" She questions, a teasing tone in her heavily accented voice.

"Maybe." I retort, rolling my eyes a bit as I open the door and step out of the bathroom. Wanda and Natasha both smile at me, with the older of the two giving me a wink and a whistle.

"Nice. You made a good call, Wanda." She states, before pulling me by the wrist in front of the oak wood vanity, pushing me down on top of the red velvet stool. "But now we have to work with your hair and makeup."

I can see Wanda's reflection standing next to Nat's, her stormy eyes looking me over. It makes me feel a bit self conscious when she stares at me so intensely, but I ignore it as best as I can.

"She won't need much makeup, a bit of eyeliner and mascara, maybe some eyeshadow." I can feel her long fingers running through my hair, and resist the urge to close my eyes. "I think it would be best to french braid her hair, so it is not in the way when my brother and her kiss."

I blow air through my nose, crossing my arms. "I'm sitting right here, you know." But the two ignore me, too focused on making me 'pretty' to say much of anything. Soon, Wanda is dragging a brush through my wild mane of hair, using some of her magic to make it more glossy and smooth. Instead of looking like a bush, it actually looks . . . good. I kind of feel like Hermione Granger.

By the time Nat and Wanda are finished with my makeup, I can already hear the loud music blaring from the party deck. I have to try not to trip in these black heels the two made me wear. Following the two women into the room, I'm immediately overwhelmed by the strobe lights and people crowding the dance floor. But right now, I'm not really interested in dancing. I'm more interested in finding a certain fast-paced superhero. It doesn't take me too long for me to find him, though. Pietro is sitting in one of the only unoccupied corners of the room, one arm stretched on the back of the sandy colored sofa, while the other is rested against his knee, hand holding a glass of whiskey. Unlike myself, he isn't dressed up. Looks like he's not a party person like I originally thought.

"Hey there, stranger." I call out to him, sitting beside him on the sofa. Close enough to hear him, but not close enough to touch. Pietro finally turns his gaze to me, a smile stretching on his lips when he realizes that it's actually me. He places his glass on the coffee table in front of him.

"I did not recognize you all dressed up." He reaches his fingers out to brush against the ends of my now wavy hair. I can't help but to feel self-conscious. My breath catches in my throat a bit, but I force myself to answer him.

"Think it's too much? I tried convincing your sister and Nat to let me wear normal clothes, but they wouldn't let me." I roll my eyes, despite how nervous I feel right now. It irritates me how Pietro can look so perfect with out even trying.

"Not at all, you look beautiful. But either way, you resemble that of an angel." I hope it's dark enough for him not to see me blushing. Why does he have to talk so smoothly? It's probably his stupid accent that helps.

"I think you've had enough to drink." I tease, not realizing how close I am to him until his hand cups against my cheek. I'm half-tempted to pull away. With all the madness with Loki and Nanna, I shouldn't be involving myself with Pietro romantically. What will happen once he finds out that I've been hiding Loki from the Avengers all this time? How angry will he be with me?

"What is wrong?" Pietro asks suddenly, and I silently curse myself for worrying about it. I pull back from him a bit, smiling and shaking my head.

"It's nothing, really . . . I'm just . . . worried about this whole mess with Nanna and everything. You know?" Not technically a lie, right? "I just wish I knew what she was planning."

Pietro goes quiet for a moment, stormy eyes looking as if he's searching inside my soul. But then, the serious expression goes away, and the smile comes back to his lips. "Why worry about it now? I am sure we will figure it out soon. But for now? Let us try and have fun. It is a party, after all."

"You're right, I'm sorry-" Before I can say anything more however, his lips are suddenly placed on top of mine in a soft, sweet kiss. I hesitate for a moment, but that's only because I'm surprised by the suddenness of it all.

I lean into him, embracing the warmth of his arms, the scent of cinnamon and lavender greeting my nose. An unlikely combination, but a welcomed one still. He pulls back all too soon, and I secretly find myself disappointed. Most of the time, I would be weary of someone kissing me like this. But I remind myself that Pietro isn't like _him_. I know he would never hurt me.

"I apologize, was that too much?" All at once, he looks like a puppy, waiting for approval. I shake my head, laughing a little despite the situation.

"No way, feel free to do that whenever I'm talking too much. Or, anytime you'd like, really." Crap, I hadn't meant to say that aloud. But I must have said something right, because Pietro is giving me that mischievous grin of his once again.

"You should not have said that, I might just take it seriously." Before I can retort, a golden light catches my eye. I look out towards the balcony, and what I see almost makes my heart stop. I stand from the couch immediately, but I'm stopped by Pietro, who softly grabs my wrist.

"Karissa?" He questions, looking confused. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing . . ." I falter, wondering what I should tell him. It's obvious I can't tell him the truth, because then Loki would definitely find out. "It's just a bit stuffy in here, I'm gonna get some fresh air. I'll be right back, promise." I flash him a quick smile, before pulling from his grasp and walking outside.

At first, nothing but the cool night air is noticeable. I relax a bit, resting my elbows on the railing at the end of the balcony and looking down towards the city. Even though I don't care for heights, the sight of people and cars on the street calms me some how.

"Having fun, little bird?" I nearly jump out of my skin, but force myself to stay calm as I turn towards Loki. His violet eyes are trained on me, a dark smile on his lips. He takes a step towards me, and I briefly wonder if it's only me who can see him.

"What are you doing here, Loki?" I question, unconsciously moving my hand to rub my throat. And though my body managed to heal fast, I can still feel the pressure of his fingers crushing my windpipe.

"I only came to wish you congratulations on your new accomplishment. An official Avenger now, yes? I wonder what they'll all think when they find out you've been hiding me." Loki lets out a slow, deep chuckle. I don't like how his eyes seem to glow. "I'm sure they won't like to keep you here for long. They aren't too keen on letting traitors stick around with them, I should know."

"You almost destroyed the entire city and killed hundreds of people. I don't blame them for distrusting you." I curl my hands into fists, smirking a bit when I see that the burn I left on his cheek has begun to blister. "Answer my question truthfully. What are you doing here, Loki?"

The god of mischief sighs softly, and before I know it, he's teleported himself so that he's right behind me. His hands suddenly grab both of my wrists and tug them painfully behind my back. I begin to panic a bit now. I try to summon flames into my hands, but for some reason I can't get a spark.

"Sorry, little bird. It seems your little fire trick has no use around me for the time being. I've managed to turn it off." Oh no. "Now, sleep."

My eyelids grow heavy suddenly, and my world fades into black.

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

Pietro had been waiting for almost twenty minutes when he finally stood from his place on the couch and began to mingle in with the crowd. He thought that Karissa might have gotten stuck in a conversation with either Nat or his sister. But, when he approaches the two women, he grows confused when he doesn't see Karissa.

"Wanda, have you seen Karissa?" Pietro grabs the witch's arm to pull her away from the crowd. Wanda turns her gaze to him, smile fading as it usually does when she sees a vision she doesn't like.

"No, this is not possible . . ." She breathes, eyes widening in fear as she finally turns her attention towards her twin brother. "She's been kidnapped, by . . ." She goes silent, as if hesitant to say who. Pietro grabs her shoulder, his heart racing a thousand miles at the thought of Karissa being kidnapped.

"By who? Wanda, tell me. What's going on? Hurry." Wanda lets out her breath, looking regretful as she shakes her head.

"She's been kidnapped . . . by Loki, the one everyone has been searching for."


	9. Chapter 8 - Vaz

**AN: Thank you to Moonleaf Stormrunner and Girlwith100names for your lovely reviews! It really means a lot that you like this!**

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

After hearing that Karissa has gone missing, Tony ushers all of the guests from the tower as quickly as possible. Aside from the soft grumbles and sighs of complaints, it doesn't take too long to get them all out. No one dares to refuse a billionaire's wishes.

Currently, the Avengers sit on the black leather sofas surrounding the coffee table, no one daring to be the first to speak up. Wanda is looking down at her tightly clasped hands, guilt eating away at her for keeping Karissa's secret. Not only that, but she feels ashamed for not being able to protect her friend from that damned Loki. She wonders if anyone will trust the two of them after this.

Finally, Steve breaks the silence, all eyes land on him as he stands from the chair he's seated in, muscular arms crossed firmly over his chest. "Wanda, you said that Karissa was kidnapped by Loki. But she told us that she hadn't spoken with him since she was thirteen." The Captain takes a step towards the witch, a look of disbelief on his face. "Are you saying she lied to us?"

Wanda forces herself to look at Steve, placing a hand on her hip as she also stands. "I do not think that's important right now. We should be looking for Karissa and figuring out how to bring her back home safely. Once we find her, and she's recovered from whatever Hell Loki is putting her through, you can get the truth from her then. It is not my story to tell."

The room falls silent, everyone too stunned by Wanda's boldness against the Captain to speak. Pietro moves to stand by his sister, crossing his arms as he stares at Steve, almost daring him to say anything hurtful towards his sister.

"Can you blame her for not telling us? She was most likely scared you guys would throw her in jail or something." He looks back at Wanda, both of them sharing looks that only they could understand the meaning. "You guys were the one who treated her like a criminal in the first place."

"The kid has a point." To all of the team's shock, it's Tony who speaks up this time. "Probably didn't help that we gave her little to no freedom at all." The philanthropist moves to the middle of the team, stealing the spotlight as usual. "So, the problem is, how are we going to locate her?"

"I have an idea of where she might have gone." Wanda directs her gaze to Tony now, her nerves temporarily pushed aside. "A couple of days ago, she mentioned that Loki's eyes were purple when she saw him."

"Wait-" Pietro attempts to interrupt, but Wanda holds her finger up at him.

"Karissa believes that he is being controlled by someone. Whoever it is, they must be very powerful." Wanda's eyes are hard as she looks from Tony, to Steve, to Natasha, to Thor, to Bruce, and finally, to her brother. "It is a possibility he could have taken her to Völva."

"Yes, but how could he have? Considering that he is unable to reach Völva until March 25th. Unless he has another way of getting there." Bruce taps the pen that he's holding against his temple, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"My brother has ways of reaching places that even I do not." Thor's deep voice bellows softly but clearly throughout the room. "It would not surprise me if he's found a passage of some sort."

"If that's the case, then we must find out how to get there as well. Who knows what that bastard is putting Karissa through?" Pietro's fists clench involuntarily as he looks at Bruce. "There must be a way."

Wanda places her hand on her brother's shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "We will find her, Pietro. I promise."

* * *

 **First Person POV**

The first thing I notice when I come back to my senses are the shackles that are bound tightly to my wrists. The metal digs into my skin a bit, causing me to wince as my eyes open. I look around, beginning to panic when I realize that I'm in some sort of dungeon. I yank at the chains as hard as I can, praying that I can somehow yank them off of the blue tinted walls.

" _Little bird._ "

I pause when I hear Loki's voice, hands curling into fists to try and keep myself from shaking too badly.

"What do you want from me, Loki?" I ask, surprised by the amount of venom in my voice. The god of mischief only chuckles softly, kneeling down so that he is eye level with me. There's a nasty smile on his lips as he raises his hand, golden particles circling his long fingers.

"Do you know where you are, Karissa?" He questions softly, the softness in his voice making my stomach churn.

"Should I?" Secretly, I do want to know where I am. But, I want to know why the hell he's brought me here first. I guess I'll just have to be as patient as I can, despite my fear of him right now.

"You are on one of Völva's moons. This one is called Vaz. Without it, Völva's people would lack the water supply they need to survive." He tilts his head, the smile on his lips slipping into a cold smirk. "But that's not important, is it?" Loki stands once again, and I have to tilt my head back a bit in order to see his face. "Rest well, little bird. You're going to need it, for what I have in store for you."

The last thing I hear are his footsteps leaving the dungeon, followed by the soft banging of a door slamming shut. Everything goes dark all of the sudden. The room smells of stale water and damp mold. I was expecting that interaction to go much worse. But, judging from his last words, he already has something planned for me. At that thought, I close my eyes and tilt my head back against the wall, swallowing hard when I feel tears threatening stinging my eyes. But I don't want to cry, because if I did that, then Loki would think that he's won. Even if he is possibly being controlled, there's no way I'd ever let that happen. I will not be seen as weak.

However, at the sound of metal clinking beside me, I open my eyes and turn my head to the right, where I believe the source of the noise to be. "Who's there?" I call out, secretly hoping that it's not a rat or something scurrying around. Thankfully, it's a male's voice that answers me, sounding smooth and calming dispite our situation.

"My name is Calder Cainson, I'm the heir of this planet. Who are you?" I let out a sigh of relief. But, I am curious as to why the heir would be chained up in his own dungeon. How long has Loki been planning this? Or should I say, how long has _Nanna_ been planning this?

"I'm . . . Karissa Summers." Although, I don't really know if Summers is my last name anymore. But, that's what I'll go along with for now. "Why would Loki chain you up down here?" I couldn't keep myself from asking. Whatever Loki and Nanna are planning, it obviously isn't going to involve just Earth. Possibly, the entire galaxy could be involved.

Great, this is starting to sound like some sort of cheesy sci-fi movie.

For a moment, I don't think Calder is listening. But then he's speaking up a few seconds later. "Because I have information that he doesn't. Of course, I wouldn't tell him. So here I am now, blind as a bat and chained to the wall." My mouth falls open a bit at that, however I force myself to hold in a gasp. So, Calder is blind? Was he born that way? Or did something else happen to him?

"What kind of information? What would happen if Loki found out?" I hear Calder chuckling a bit, but he's stopped by a sudden fit of coughing. I wince slightly, wishing there was something I could do to get both of us out of here. However, my powers still don't seem to be working.

"They're called the Six Artifacts. To any human, they would look very mundane. But, the magic that these artifacts hold are powerful, just what Loki needs to complete his spell. But, even if he knows what they are, their location is something he still doesn't know." Calder's chains are rattling once again, as if he's moving into a more comfortable position.

"Do you know what these Six Artifacts are?" If so, then they could be the key to defeating Nanna and returning Loki to his original self.

"I do. A necklace, book, ring, crown, pen, and silver slipper. Three of which I know the location. But I will not say that here. Loki or one of his guards could be listening." And although I wanted to find out where some of the locations are, I also didn't want to risk Loki finding out either.

"But, I can say that these artifacts could be laid out anywhere across the galaxy. They are also heavily guarded with traps and monsters. Getting your hands on them won't be any simple task. If you somehow find a way to get out of here, you'll need to come back here to get me, so I can help you." Of course, I would be stupid to leave Calder behind. Especially with how much information he knows.

I open my mouth to speak, but am cut off by the sound of the door banging open and a nearly blinding light infiltrating the room. "Ah, how lovely. I take it you have met Vaz's dearest prince, haven't you little bird?" Loki mocks quietly. I turn my head to see that two guards are following swiftly behind him.

Before I have time to respond, the two guards unchain me from the wall, placing handcuffs on me instead. Again, the metal digs into my wrist, digging into my skin. "I promise Calder, I'll get you out of here!" I manage to yell out just as Loki grips my arm tightly and tugs me out of the room.

The halls of the dungeons are no more comforting than the actual rooms. The stench of dead bodies, human or otherwise, meets my nose. The sight of several dead mice laying limp in traps makes my skin nearly crawl in disgust. Loki shoves me hard into a small room that seems to be even colder than the dungeon. Before I was shoved into a hard, wooden seat, my eyes caught a glimpse of sharp, silver tools strapped neatly against a square, metal container.

Before I can move, Loki is strapping each of my wrists tightly against the armrests with an extraordinarily thick piece of leather. "Depending on how this works out," The Norse god grins, chuckling softly, "You may or may not get to keep those pretty eyes of yours." His unnaturally purple eyes peer into mine. My teeth are gritting in an effort to not spit in his face. I take a deep breath, not daring to look away from him.

"I'm not going to tell you anything." I hiss, his face mere centimeters away from mine. "Are you going to do to me what you did to Calder? What turned you into such a heartless monster?" I blink hard, cursing myself for the tears that burn my eyes. For a while, I had believed that Loki was one of the only people who actually cared about me. Was he controlled by Nanna all this time? Was our friendship ever real?

"Oh, my little bird-" Loki tuts his tongue, his bony index finger tracing the tip of my right eyebrow down to my jawline. "I was born a heartless monster."

I shake my head, never losing eye contact with him. "That can't be true . . . not according to what Thor told me. You didn't used to be bad, it wasn't until you found out your true heritage that you-"

He bangs his fist harshly near my head, colliding it with the tough wood of the chair. His lips are pulled back to reveal his perfectly white teeth as his face contorts into anger. "Don't speak of things you don't know about!" Loki screams, making me flinch as far away from him as the chair would allow.

With a jerky motion, he picks up one of the shiny metallic tools from the container beside me, his eyes fully emblazoned with rage. My breath hitches as I attempt to call on my power, desperate for even a little spark to try and stop him. But nothing would come. No matter how hard I tried, my flames abandoned me.

"I tried being nice," he spits, pupils nearly hiding the deep violet that paints his irises. "If you won't tell me anything that's of use to me, then I will have to force it out of you." The snake-like grin sends a shiver up my spine as warm, fat tears roll down my cheeks. Never have I been so afraid in my life.

 _He's going to torture me. I'm going to die._

Those are the only thoughts I have before he plunges the sharp utensil deep into my thigh.


	10. Chapter 9 - Torture

**AN: Warning, this chapter is a bit graphic. If it makes you uncomfortable, scroll down to the Third Person POV**

* * *

 **First Person POV**

A scream tears from my throat as Loki stabs the scalpel deep into my thigh, the pain becoming a burning sensation that spreads throughout my right leg. Except this burning sensation is not comfortable. Tears sting my eyes, my head reflexively banging back against the chair to keep myself from crying. _Don't think about it. Don't let him think he's won just yet._

But deep down I know that I can't win from this. A powerful God of Mischief versus a teenage girl who can barely control her powers. The odds aren't looking good for me right now.

Every curse word I've ever learned flies through my head as he twists the handle of the scalpel, my thigh muscles are screaming in pain. Loki chuckles softly as he pulls the utensil out of my thigh, a slick sucking sound filling my ears and making me want to vomit. My vision had blackened from the pain, but when I feel something cold pressing against the wound, the sight of Loki's face inches away from mine nearly makes me jerk away.

There is no longer any pain in my thigh, which confuses me. But when I see the grin widening on the male's face, my heart races with barely contained fear. With a flick of his hand, my tattered dress disappears, replaced with baggy pants only, leaving me in only my bra. He presses the cold, sharp point of the scalpel against my stomach, my eyes squeezing shut in anticipation for what's to comeback.

I want to kick my legs out at Loki, but he's managed to bind them with magic. Never have I felt so defenseless in my life.

"Please.." I choke out, hating myself for the whimper in my voice.

"You did this to yourself, little bird." Loki smirks, violet eyes glowing eerily as he makes the first cut into the skin just above my belly button. My eyes snap open and all I can see is the gray of the ceiling, my arms straining against the leather that holds them snug against the chair as another scream forces its way from my lips. I don't notice the tears streaming down my cheeks until I feel them splashing onto my lap.

Loki's laugh cuts like a knife through my screaming. _Please, I want to die._ Are the only thoughts I'm capable of as the knife cuts deeper, my breathing heavy as he takes it out, only to shove it back in once again. The smell of my own blood makes me nauseous all over again. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, he pulls his hand away from my stomach. He's carved something in my skin, I can tell by the way he's admiring his handy work.

He heals me again, but stops before the pain is completely gone. I guess he wants to make sure it scars. Loki grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger, his blunt fingernails making me wince even more than I probably already am. My head is pounding, mind reeling from everything he's done to me.

"Don't relax just yet, little bird." He hisses, squeezing his fingers so tight that I'm sure there will be small bruises on my face. "Our fun is far from over. You need to learn your place."

All I can do is stare at him, too terrified to even move. With another wave of his hand, everything fades away. The chair disappears, along with the leather straps binding me to it. Instead, I'm in my room back at the Avengers' Tower. I look around in confusion, wondering if what had happened was all just a horrible dream.

I move to open the door, but with every step I takes, it gets farther and farther away. More panic settles underneath my skin as I start running, pumping my arms and legs as fast as I can to reach the exit. But then the door disappears, blending in with the maroon colored walls around it. I stop abruptly, chest heaving as sweat dribbles down my forehead. A voice makes me tense, his heavy accent all too recognizable.

But what I don't recognize is how cold he sounds, bitter and broken. I force myself to turn and look at him, my hands curling as I try to fend off my fear.

"Pietro.." I start, voice hoarse from screaming, "Please, we need to get out of here. Loki- Loki will kill us both!" I stumble over to him, grasping his forearms to try and make him understand. His expression never changes, his blue eyes still cold as he grabs my shoulders and pushes me roughly onto the the floor.

"You're joking, right?" He questions, tilting his head to the side as he approaches me, pulling a sharp knife from out of nowhere. "Why do you assume I'd try to save a filthy, disgusting girl like you?" He laughs quietly, shaking his head as he kneels down in front of me. I try to scoot away, but it's as if my hands are glued to the floor.

"P-Pietro . . . You don't mean that. It's not true. This isn't real!" I yell loudly. Faster than light, his hand closes around my neck, squeezing tight. I try to shake myself from his grip, but he's too strong for me. Whatever I did to him, it must have set him off.

 _Filthy and disgusting_. That's who I am, isn't it?

"You thought we wouldn't find out your little secret, didn't you?" The tip of his knife presses against my throat.

One wrong move, and I'll be dead.

"I never loved you, Karissa. And I never will." He moves the knife, but before I can feel the pain, the room spins and I'm sitting back where I was before, with Loki still sneering at me. I swallow hard, shutting my eyes in an attempt to rid of that . . . illusion? Was that what it was?

"Don't you understand now, Karissa? You will never truly be part of that pathetic team. This is what will happen if the truth about you is ever revealed." He murmurs, voice now sickeningly soft. I can't help but to shiver, and with a snap of his fingers, something soft is being wrapped around my shoulders. My body reflexively allows it, trying to find as much warmth as possible.

"One day, you'll reveal just what a monster you truly are." His index finger pushes back strands of my damp hair, but I can't find it in me to fight against him. "Do you want to see what will happen?" The question is rhetorical, and I know it.

For a moment, I glance around me and recognize that I'm once again in The Avengers' Tower. Except this time, everything is engulfed in bright orange and red flames. The heat doesn't burn me, but the smoke makes me cough. I have just enough time to catch a glimpse of crumpled bodies in the corners of the room, before Loki pulls me out of the illusion. I can't tell how many times I've cried today, but I'm already growing sick of myself for being so weak.

When I bring myself to look up at Loki, I'm surprised to see that there seems to be something making him hesitate. Is Nanna's power wearing off of him?

The thought leaves me soon though, because his eyes are glowing purple once again. Loki stands from his seat and cuts through the binding restraining me to the chair. He roughly pulls me up despite my body throbbing in pain. He ignores my yelp and grabs my hair, forcing me close.

"From now on, you will do as I say and exactly how I say it. You will act as Asgard's new cold-hearted and cruel princess. You will kill when I say so, and if not, you can say goodbye to those Maximoff twins you so admire." I can feel my eyes widening, my mouth opening to protest, but just as I do, Loki's hand flies across my cheek.

My head whips to the side, my bottom lip bleeding from my teeth accidentally biting into it. "If those Avengers do come to rescue you, you will force them to leave. Otherwise, I will deal with them personally. I'm sure you would not appreciate that."

I have no choice, then. With each word he says, I can feel every ounce of fight in me leaving my body. Surprisingly, no tears come. I feel nothing, I am nothing. At least, not to Loki. I'm just a pawn in this foolish game he's playing, and when he's done with me, I'll be left here to rot just like Calder. I couldn't even save him.

"Is that clear, little bird?" He questions, his eyebrows raising upwards, as if daring me to say no. I'm sure he wanted me to say no, so he could torture me some more. But I don't. I'm tired of fighting.

So with what little pride I have left, I nod my head and mutter a weak, "Yes, Loki."

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

Everyone is in a scramble to locate Karissa. Stark and Banner are busy in their lab, attempting to calculate how long it would take for them to get to Vaz. If they are allowed access to the Bifrost, they wouldn't be able to get there until six months later, which is out of the question. Just as Stark is about to throw his pen out of frustration, Director Fury steps into the room, followed by a group of interesting looking people. He clears his throat, and the two men look over.

"What's this, a circus performance?" Tony questions, smirking as he looks over the group. The first guy looks human, but Stark can't help but to question the very outdated Walkman strapped safely to his hip. The next person, a woman with shockingly green skin and inky black hair sneers at Tony, her slender yet muscular arms crossed tightly over her chest. It's clear that she's only here because Fury forced her to come.

The third guy is practically made of all muscle, his glare matches that of the woman, and Tony makes a mental note not to piss either of them off too much. A throat clears, and both Bruce and Tony have to fight back a humorous smile when they see a raccoon standing on his hind legs, wearing some sort of leather vest. In his paws, the raccoon holds a very tiny humanized tree.

Another person walks into the room, this one Tony recognizes as Peter Parker, the boy who has photographed some of his inventions. Before he could open his mouth to say something snarky again, Director Fury cuts him off. He waves his hand towards the group of strangers and Peter, looking serious as usual.

"These people can all be of use to us. They are known as the Guardians of the Galaxy, according to my sources. They have a ship that can travel into space without causing any damage. This could be your way to finding Karissa." Fury then eyes Peter, nodding his head for the teenager to speak. With a small wave directed at Stark, he moves forward.

"Hey, I'm Peter. But I think Mr. Stark already knew that-" Fury clears his throat impatiently, reminding Peter of why he's here. "Oh yeah, and I'm kind of a friend of Karissa's and . . ." He hesitates for a moment, before pulling down the front of his t-shirt to reveal a familiar blue and red costume that both Bruce and Tony have both seen before. "I'm also Spider-man. I want to help you guys get Karissa back."

The man with the Walkman steps up, grinning as he says, "Don't forget, your Peter II, I'm Peter I."

The raccoon speaks up, surprising Parker, Stark, and Banner. "That's all well and good, but why in the Hell should we waste our time rescuing some girl we don't even know?"

Director Fury turns his hard gaze towards the raccoon, "Because all of you will be paid for it. Karissa has information that we need. Without your help, that information will be lost."

"Wait a moment, let's get one thing straight," Tony holds up his hands, eyebrows furrowing as he sends a glare towards Director Fury. "We aren't rescuing Karissa for information, we're rescuing her because she needs us to. She's part of the team, and part of us. We aren't saving her because you need information."

Fury crosses his arms, sending a glare straight back at Tony, "Yes, but we need the information she has regardless. She knows something about this Nanna woman that we don't, and I'll be damned if that isn't my first priority."

The woman with the green skin shakes her head and laughs softly, "I see men are the same on Terra just as they are elsewhere. They argue like idiots and waste time just to get the last word in." She looks at each of her companions, before nodding her head. "Fine, we'll help you find this girl. You Terrans are useless without us."

Just before Director Fury speaks up, yet another person walks into the room dressed in a strange-looking red and black leather costume. "Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, my taxi-driver pal and I got stuck in a bit of traffic. But don't worry, DeadPool is here to save these- wait, I don't wanna waste my F-bomb here, let me rephrase that." Already exasperated sighs from multiple people fill the room. DeadPool clears his throat and starts again.

"Deadpool is here to save all the people while blowing up some bad guys! There, how'd I do?" He turns towards the Director, spreading his hands.

"Wade, shut the hell up." Fury snaps, already growing impatient with the masked mercenary.

"You're the boss!" The man called Wade raises his hand in defense.

The Director sighs, before looking over at the rest of the group. "As I'm sure you already know, this is Wade Wilson, his code name is _Deadpool_. He will also be helping to retrieve Karissa. Please, don't try to kill him until after this mission."

Peter Parker looks over at Wade, raising his eyebrow. "I think Karissa will like him. She's been talking about this guy ever since she first saw him on the news."

"Well then, that just means she'll be even more delighted to be rescued." Fury states sarcastically. "Now, let's get to work and bring her back home."


	11. Chapter 10 - Asgard

**_AN: I'm so sorry for taking so long to get this up! School has been keeping me pretty busy! I thank all of you who read this, by the way!_**

* * *

 ** _Third Person POV_**

Karissa no longer puts up a fight as Loki pushes her through the halls, her wrists still bound by shackles to restrain her. Guilt eats away at her heart for betraying the Avengers, the people she had come to know as her family. Silent tears form rivers on her cheeks as she stumbles along, her soul crushed from Loki's cold words and actions. Even though she knows it's not really him, she can't help but to hate him anyways.

Loki walks quietly behind her, and she vaguely notices that they have left the chill of the dungeons behind, walking up cobblestone steps that lead to an ominous looking wooden door. With a wave of Loki's hand, the door magically swings open, the hinges squeaking loudly.

As they walk through the throne room, Karissa notices that the overall theme of the palace is a calming blue, reminding her of Elsa's castle from Frozen. At the end of the room sits two large thrones, both seeming to be made of glass, or ice. Loki smirks at the female's wandering eyes.

"They're made of diamond, as are the palace walls. Rather charming, yes? If I must say for myself, the blue makes the environment rather relaxing." But Karissa does not respond, shifting her eyes to the floor. They too seem to be made of diamond, and what shocks her even more is the deep blue liquid gleaming beautifully below it. Her eyes widen in surprise, but she soon replaces it with a look of indifference.

They move into the halls, which are wide enough for the two of them to walk side-by-side. It's here that Loki finally removes Karissa's shackles. She looks up at him, unable to mask the shock in her golden-brown eyes as she rubs at her sore wrists. Loki looks down at her, the same twisted smirk on his lips.

"I don't need those on you to control you anymore." He turns, motioning to a large, beautiful icy blue door. Silver embroiders the outer edges and swoops into intricate designs in the middle, making Karissa want to trace it with her fingers. But she doesn't, instead she forces herself to grasp the handle and push, letting the door swing all the way open. Loki pushes her inside and stands in the doorway, expecting her to try to run.

But Karissa does no such thing. She simply stands there, refusing to speak as his eyes narrow down at her. "A servant will come shortly. In the meantime, clean yourself up. You're as filthy as one of Asgard's peasants." He sneers, before shutting the door in her face with a resounding bang.

Karissa closes her eyes, willing herself not to cry by biting her already injured lower lip and digging her nails into her palm. It's not until she tastes the copper on her tongue that she opens her eyes again, taking a deep breath. Without a sound, she slowly moves towards the bathroom, which is directly across from the queen-sized bed resting against the wall. If it weren't for certain circumstances, she would normally be amazed by the elegant oak bed frame and light blue silk fabric that seems to flow from it.

The bathroom is by far larger than the one that she has in her room at Avenger's Tower. An old fashioned, large silver bathtub takes up only half of the room, with the sink and mirror being opposite from it. Karissa closes the bathroom door behind her and locks it, imagining that she wasn't, in fact, kidnapped by Loki. The thought cheers her only slightly, but her spirits soon plummet as soon as she strips.

Her fingers fly to her mouth when she sees the messily, disturbing words scrawled into her flesh.

 _Little Bird._

Anger bubbles beneath her chest, and if she had control of her flames, she would be letting them loose right now. Her eyes glow an unnatural crimson as she fights back the rage and sorrow threatening to consume her. Turning around, Karissa turns the knob to the hot water on, watching it as it pours quickly and loudly into the tub.

How long will she be stuck here, she wonders. _I'll never get Calder out of here._ She shakes her head, a cold, dry chuckle leaving her lips as she steps into the rapidly filling tub. She didn't care if the heat was practically scalding. Most people would flinch away from the high temperature, but then again, Karissa isn't like most people.

It doesn't take long for Karissa to get washed up and wrap herself in a warm, white fluffy towel. She wonders who the last person was to occupy this room. Are they even still alive? She thinks, stepping out of the bathroom to find clothes neatly folded atop the deep blue covers of her bed. She slips on the black leggings first, taking a moment to get used to the tight fabric clinging to her legs. Next, she grabs the white fluffy shirt and pulls it over her head, feeling a little bit like a pirate. The last things she pulls on are brown, leather boots that reach to her knees.

Karissa flinches when she hears a knock at the door, but relaxes only slightly when she hears a muffled, female sounding voice, "Lady Karissa, his Highness has requested me to escort you to dinner. May I come in?"

Slowly, Karissa opens the door, surprised when she finds a woman with cornflower blue skin and deep blue eyes. Her silky black hair is pulled back into a neat bun, showing off pointed ears that remind Karissal of an elf.

"Who are you?" Karissa questions warily, not letting herself stare too long in fear of offending the strange-looking woman in front of her.

"I am but a humble maid of Vaz's Palace, you may call me Unda," the woman replies softly, a polite smile on her blue lips. Her hands are clasped in front of her navy blue colored skirt as she tilts her head. "Are you ready for dinner? It is best not to keep King Loki waiting."

 _King_? Karissa thinks bitterly, _is that what Loki calls himself here?_

She knows who the throne _truly_ belongs to, but will not voice her opinion aloud. Instead, she gives a curt nod and lets the maid lead her out of her temporary room and down the hall. Karissa does her best to keep up, but she's surprised by just how swiftly the maid moves. It's obvious that she isn't human. Just what kind of people inhabited this planet before Loki's arrival? Just how long has he made them suffer?

Her thoughts are cut off when she enters the dining hall and sees Loki already perched at the very end of a long, oak table. There are only two chairs, the one he's sitting in, and the one tucked into the table just beside him. Karissa silently sits herself in the empty one, once again refusing to meet his eyes. She can't bear the thought of looking at him.

Only when a plate of food is set in front of her by one of Loki's other servants does she become interested. The sight of what looks to be ham, mashed potatoes, and some sort of fruit on her plate causes her stomach to grumble hungrily. Despite herself, she picks up the silver fork beside her plate and takes a bite of the steamy mashed potatoes, which practically melts on her tongue.

"Is it to your liking?" Loki questions after she's swallowed the first bite, causing her to finally look up at him. Karissa gives him a small nod, not having the energy to actually speak to him.

The god finally explains his plan in full detail, and Karissa is forced to listen. "I will disguise myself as Odin and announce you as Loki's long lost 'daughter' and therefore the next in line for the throne. You will do and say exactly what I tell you to. If you fail to comply, I'll kill everyone you love. _You_ will even kill, if I order it. Do I make myself clear?

By now, Karissa has stopped eating. Her stomach lurches at the horrible thought of being forced to kill someone. When she realizes that Loki is still waiting for her answer, she forces out a meek, "Yes."

Although why she would want him to act as his daughter, she has no clue. The very idea of having to do so repulses her. Karissa wonders if Loki would be bringing Calder with, or if the poor prince would be forced to stay in the dungeon. Should she ask?

"Loki . . . may I make a request?" She questions softly, her eyes flickering up to meet his purple ones. After a moment, he nods. "I was wondering . . . if we could bring Calder along. He's no use to you here. And . . . what if he somehow manages to escape?"

Karissa watches him, trying to hide the hope that was no doubt in her expression. She's surprised to find that Loki is actually contemplating her words for once. Maybe he was just humoring her. But, when Loki answers, she can't help but to feel just a little excited.

"Fine, the boy may come with us. I will have the guards retrieve him from the dungeon before our departure after we have finished our meal." Karissa nods, almost opening her mouth to thank him, but then reminds herself that there is no way that Loki is doing this only for her.

A couple hours later, Calder is freed from the dungeon. Loki was kind enough to allow him to bathe and change into fresh, clean clothing. Karissa is shocked to see him, though. Because the first thing she notices are his eyes, unnaturally pale with scar tissue all around his eyelids and pale eyebrows.

"You're-"

"Blind, yes, I had that figured out for myself." Calder smirks in Karissa's direction, swiping his white-blond hair from his face with his hand.

"I wasn't going to say that," Karissa says, half-tempted to roll her eyes. "But it's nice to actually see what you look like."

"I am pretty handsome, aren't I? But unfortunately for you, I'm not interested in _women_." He slides his hands into the pockets of his black leather pockets, not giving Karissa the chance to react when he asks, "so why did his majesty let me free?"

Before Karissa has the chance to answer, Loki's voice distracts the two, reminding them both of their situation.

"Enough talking. It is time for us to go." The god snaps, causing Karissa to flinch slightly. Calder looks in Loki's general direction, his lips twisted into an unpleasant expression. Before he can open his mouth, Karissa elbows his side to keep him quiet.

"I'll explain once we get to Asgard." She murmurs after the two begin following behind Loki to the throne room. How they are going

to get to Asgard, Karissa doesn't have a clue. Before she can muster up the courage to ask, Loki stops abruptly in front of her. Before Calder can do the same, she grabs his wrist and tugs him next to her.

"Thanks." He mutters once Karissa removes her hand from him.

"How are we getting to Asgard?" Karissa finally asks, forcing herself to look at Loki as he turns to face the two. That cocky smirk is back on his lips, and Karissa has to do her best not to smack it off of him.

"That's simple. I am using Lady Nanna's power to open a portal there," The God of Mischief's famous golden scepter materializes in the palm of his hand, shining brilliantly in the throne room as Loki points it directly in front of him. Karissa can't help but to widen her eyes when she sees Asgard directly across from her, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. How is that possible? She wonders.

Before she has anymore time to think it over, Loki is forcing her and Calder in front of him, practically pushing the two into the portal. Karissa stumbles slightly, while Calder doesn't even seem to be fazed by it. When Loki steps into Asgard, he carefully closes the portal behind him. Karissa turns away from the god and looks around in amazement, her breath nearly stolen from her.

Never in her life has she seen anything so amazing. When she looks up at the sky, a gasp leaves her at seeing just how many stars there are, the little white specks dotting the night sky as if it were a canvas. The blues and purples above her calm her slightly, as if telling her that she would be okay. But, upon seeing the shiny golden towers of the palace in front of her, her stomach seems to plummet down to her toes.

Loki lightly prods her back with his scepter, urging her forward. As if attempting to comfort her, Calder brushes his fingertips against Karissa's, and though it doesn't calm her completely, she's reminded that she isn't alone.

The large gates of the palace swing open for the three, the soldiers on either side staring straight ahead as if in some sort of strange trance. She doesn't have time to look them over, but she does notice that like Loki, their eyes are an eerie violet color as well.

Once they are safely inside the castle walls, Loki pushes in front of Calder and Karissa, gesturing for them to continue following him. Even though Calder can't see, he understands just as well as Karissa does. The two obey him, and once again Karissa has to keep her new acquaintance from bumping into Loki when he stops abruptly in front of them. The God of Mischief turns finally.

" _Your_ room," He directs his voice to Calder, moving to grip the pale blond's elbow, "is right here." And although the young prince clearly wants to brush away Loki's touch, he doesn't. To their right is a plain looking, small oak door. Loki waves his free hand and it opens wide. Immediately, he pushes Calder inside the room and slams it shut. Karissa clenches her fists at hearing a soft 'click'.

Loki swiftly turns to her, wearing a soft grin as he grabs her elbow and leads her beside him. "Do not fear, my little bird. You will be free to roam the halls of the palace. As long as you do not attempt to escape, which would be quite foolish of you, and as long as you do as I say, you will live a happy life here."

Karissa bites down on her bottom lip to keep herself from mumbling profanities at him. _Is this his way of trying to make me feel better? Because if so, it really isn't working._

When she doesn't reply to him, Loki only chuckles and directs her to another door, this one much bigger than Calder's, and much more elegant looking as well. Karissa forces herself to look up at Loki, finally bringing herself to speak to him.

"I assume this is my room?" She questions softly, not having enough energy to be loud. Loki nods at her, and like with Calder's, waves his hand to open the door. But instead of pushing her in, he lets Karissa enter the room at her own pace.

"Like any princess, you will have lessons on the acting like a lady. These lessons will take place in the morning, and I will have an escort take you to each one. I expect you to listen to your instructors. If not, you can say goodbye to your little friend." He tilts his head, as if pondering over his next words very carefully. "There will also be a banquet held in two days time, to which you will be introduced as Asgard's newest princess."

Karissa only nods her head at this, not wanting Loki to see her true emotions. She turns her back on him and enters her new, permanent room. Loki shuts the door behind her, although she doesn't hear any clicking to signify that he has locked it behind her. I really am trapped here, if he trusts himself enough let me walk around the castle.

The young woman plops herself onto the queen sized bed. She can no longer hold herself back, and finally lets her tears flow freely down her cheeks and cradles her head into her hands to muffle her sobs.

Karissa no longer has any hope that she would be rescued. Even if she did try to escape, there was always Loki's threat looming over her like a storm cloud.


End file.
